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When I bought a dining room set at Big Lots on Feb 28th 2011 for 850.00 dollars, I thought I was getting a good deal. I thought it was everything we were looking for. Then in March , I noticed that every chair was wobbly. I was kind of bummed since I put the item together myself, and let me explain that I have many items in my home that I have built that I have travelled with and is still very stury and in excellent shape. After noticing the chairs, I tightened them and decided moved on. Then in June, I notice that there was a huge mark on the table where I sit and otganize my coupons. I use placemats where we eat and we rarely eat on that table since it is in our dining room, not our kitchen. In July I noticed that the bench seat which has been used literally 3 times was destroyed. The very thin layer of pleather had literally cracked in half all the way around where it would theoretically bend when it is sat on. It can actually be lifted off exposing the foam (which I recently found in my infants mouth!!). The final straw was when during mine and my husbands 20th anniversary dinner, I sat the chair and it literally broke underneath me!! It was devastating and talk about a mood killer!!!

I contacted the store who said in as nicely as he could that he couldnt help me because it had been longer than 30 days. Am I crazy to think that this furniture was faulty and the store should try to remedy for carrying this kind of garbage? Is it possible that they can sell products that last for a brief period longer than the return period and just get away with it? I wrote an email to the stores corporate office through thier website and this was what they replied with

"Thank you for contacting Big Lots. In order to receive a refund for your item, the item must be in all original packaging, in the original condition the item was purchased, and the item must be returned within 30 days of the original purchase. A sales receipt must accompany all merchandise.

In the event of an item being defective, we would be glad to help assist in contacting the manufacturer for possible resolution.

Big Lots Customer Care "

If the item has started delapitating before my eyes within 30 days, I would have contacted them at that point!! I feel like the store should take care of the customer and then deal with the vendors on their end. I am SO frustrated!!!

I have a dining room table that is unusable and I paid nearly 900 dollars for it!!! If it had lasted me 3 years I would have been disappointed, but slightly justified! This product is downright dangerous and defective, but if you buy it you wont find out for a couple months, so they are safe cause the have a 30 day return policy! I am going to tell every person I know, just so they dont waste their money!

Monetary Loss: $859.

Location: Surprise, Arizona

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Guest

My wife and I spend an average of 120 dollars a month at big lots. We've never returned anything.

I did try and return a can of rancid peanuts today. The manager told me big lots does not exchange or offer refunds for any food items. She asked me if I'd like to take them with me or have them discard them. I said "keep them".

This is a rediculous policy. She said the reason that she can't give a refund is because she wouldn't be able to reshelf them. I said "you wouldn't want to....the peanuts are bad". We've shopped there for years.

Today was our last trip. This store is in Bolingbrook , Illinois.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1434348

That's not correct. Our 30 day return policy includes food items.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1450469

Do you think he made it up?

Mack Uog
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1434348

Disgusting.

Guest

So basically this customer wanted to use the furniture for 5-plus months and get a refund after her child had chewed on it. It's customers like this that drive up prices because stores have to eat the cost of items that have been used a half a year and then returned.

Let's look at it this way...

if this customer sold her messed up table at a garage sale to a person for $100 and the person came back to her five months later saying the legs had fallen off and they wanted their money back, how likely would she be to laugh in their face?

The store return policy is printed on the receipt. It details exactly how long it is and what it takes to return merchandise.

Please, consumers... take accountability and stop blaming everyone else every time something breaks.

Plain and simple, she should have looked at the table a little more closely and made a better judgment before laying down her hard earned cash.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1010263

When a customer purchases a product new at an established nationwide retailer they assume a certain level of durability, especially when spending upwards of a thousand dollars. They expect the retailer to stand behind their goods and offer solutions when things go astray.

Your analogy of buying an item at a garage sale as-is and expecting the same experience is a fallacy. The two situations are totally different.

While I do agree with you, albeit somewhat, that if the return policy was stated clearly, then the buyer should perhaps have been more hesitant before purchasing. There is, however, that pesky level of durability that consumers do and should expect from purchased goods. An $850 table and chairs that lasts less than a year?

Absolutely ridiculous!

The problem is not people desiring value out of their purchases, but with greedy nationwide retailers who take advantage of their customers by knowingly selling products that are substandard and shoddy.

I don't care what the return policy is, at this level of investment big lots should have at least escalated this issue to the next level of customer service. It seems that today the old adage "the customer is always right" is no longer true, at least where big lots is concerned.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1126991

The customer stopped being right when they started blaming everyone else for their problems. The 'it's not my fault' argument because you don't want to be out x amount of dollars for your stupidity or arrogance is what is driving costs up and making retail workers hate you the customer more and more everyday...

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1010263

You could have got something made of real wood for half the price at Rooms to Go at 5 years no interest or payments . They get away with it..thats why they continue to do this to consumers.

You also need to check their expiration date. I have found a whole lot of cheese out of date ny several months and that was after i had brought back about 4 packages with 4 each of banana cream pie pudding that was out of date that made me sick.. so make sure you check everything ..food..furniture ..from there.

Sit in their furniture that is put together before you buy it. It is all wobbly.

Guest

Buy at small Mom and Pop stores. Got my wood furniture from a Chinese store and they're still sturdy nd nice since 2002!

Guest

I purchased a recliner in August of this year and had it home for about a week, decided I didn't like and it felt like it was leaning to one side. I returned the chair to the store...no questions asked...easy as anything I've done except for the lifting and repacking, ha, ha!

I don't think blaming the store is the way to go.

It's sort of a buyer beware thing. I've had it happen buying a car...couldn't blame the dealer...but I sure disliked the auto maker!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-541293

Tailwagginhappy.That is one of the most ridiculous comments I have ever heard!You must be a big lots employee?Either that?Or you just need to become a grownup and stop apparently being everybody's sucker?How on earth can you think it's buyer beware?Sounds to me that you have absolutely no experience,in anything other than trolling.I myself like to shop where they do care about their customers.You should try shopping at different stores until you find one that doesn't make you their?To the person writing this review.Thank you so much for letting us know of your experience and I apologize for this troll,trolling through websites and trolling your review.I think they need to shop smarter!They definitely need to learn that they don't always have to get taken advantage of!Because it sounds to me like they're only used to *** service!Either that?Or they're genuinely a "troll" "trolling" around reviews to leave "troll" like comments like the "troll" excrement they just spilled!I like to read all reviews positive and negative,it's how you make an intelligent decisions.Thank you again for taking the time to let us know of your shopping experience.You just saved me from buying an "oddly" cheap recliner that I was already worried about before reading this

Guest

Not a comment just question will biglots honor an add if item purchased goes on sale within days of original purchase

Guest

Not a comment just question will biglots honor an add if item purchased goes on sale within days of original purchase

Guest

A manufacturing defect is not limited to workmanship. Inferior quality materials used in the product, and inferior design of the product can also be considered defects, especially if the chairs break, which can cause injuries.

The retailer can be held liable for selling a defective product. You should contact the consumer protection agency in your area.

Guest

You can blame big lots. They have most of their items manufactured for them.

Itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs not like they are buying furniture from closeouts. Most of the furniture at Big lots is made at the same factory as high end furniture. You have the same name, but not the same quality. No different than so many other consumer goods.

This is how they are able to sell brand names at great prices. They also buy and sell a ton of seconds and refurbs. The prices are better (sometimes) รขโ‚ฌยฆ..but you get what you pay for (sometimes). Based on their slim profit margin this is why they are not able to honor a return policy like walmart.

30 days is all you get. Where most large chains are going to 90 days or more (walmart, Costco, lowes, etc)

Guest

What a shame

Guest

I bought a Simmons Upholstery Champion Rocker Recliner at Big Lots and after a couple of months, noticed that the cushion sags unevenly. It started out firm but now it seems a couple of the springs have halfway collapsed.

I looked at the warranty which says to contact the retailer for warranty service, so I went back to Big Lots where they said that their responsibility ends after 30 days. Beware that the 5 year warranty excludes shipping and labor which is likely more than I paid for the product.

You can sometimes get more than you paid for, but apparently not at Big Lots, which sells cheap junk. This is the first of 5 cheap recliners I've had in over 30 years which was not worth what I paid for it because it is uncomfortable after a couple of months.

Guest

I purchased a fancey metal headboard and footboard and a Harvard type bed frame from Big Lots probably 6 or 7 years ago and it is holding up beautifully. I've seen sets like that for $1000.00 or more and this was $89.00 and I just love it. Thankful I got a good deal.

Guest

I work and sold furniture for 11 years and I know there furniture products is good and most of there upholstery is made from Simmons cushions and have hardwood frames and have 5 s springs per seating area 1 year warranty on fabric 5 years on springs or recliner mechanisms limited lifetime on cushions and frames there mattresses have warrantys on some up to 20 years depending on what you spend and have continuance spring systems and I see the way people treat the items at the store I see why there stuff breaks my hole house is from big lots

Guest

In the future I suggest looking into the manufacturer first. Accusing Big Lots as a whole for one manufacturer's mistake isn't very fair.

Big Lots gets in a variety of all objects, furniture included. Aside from a few select items, they have no clue what they're getting and who they're getting it from. It's mostly all overstock. Even though the company has attempted to move away from just being an overstock store, it's still a huge amount of what they get in.

So some of the items are from high quality manufacturers, some are not. Doing your research will by far benefit you in the future. As long as the furniture salesmen are not swamped, they are more than happy to help you buy the best quality furniture they have.

As for buying tablets...you cannot possibly think you're getting $300 worth of tablet at a $79 price tag? They're cheap and you get what you pay for.

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