Apartment Sweet Apartment- Sofa & The Brick Drama

If you follow me on Twitter, you've heard bits and pieces of this story, but here's the whole story: laughter, tears, love, heartbreak, ridiculous comments and all! 

(If you don't have time to read the entire thing, scroll to the bottom for a summary)

In July, I purchased a tv, mattress, box spring and sofa from The Brick. At this time, I was told my sofa was on back order and would be delivered in mid-August. 

My leather bonded pull out sofa, that I LOVE.

Mid-August came and went, with no sofa. It was delivered at the end of August, minutes before I left for the long weekend. When I came back on Labour Day Monday, I noticed that there was a rip on the front on the sofa. 

The Brick was able to schedule an exchange for the following Tuesday (Sept 11). My second sofa also had a rip. I was a little annoyed at this point, especially since there had been a request to inspect my sofa for damage prior to delivery.So I called to schedule another sofa delivery.

Due to commitments made prior to purchasing the sofa, I was unable to be in town on a Saturday for several weeks so it had to be a week day delivery. At this point, I had already taken time off for 3 Brick deliveries (mattress/box spring/tv and 2 sofas) and really couldn't take more time off. The Brick was unwilling to work with me on the delivery time issue- not willing to make an after 5pm delivery OR to tell me if it would be a morning or afternoon delivery. 

The lady I spoke with told me the paper work was done and I just had to call back when there was a date I could accept a delivery.

My father selflessly cleared his schedule so that he could be at my apartment to accept the delivery. On top of that, I live an hour and a half from him. So, I called the Brick back to schedule the delivery.

On Sept 20, I was on hold for half an hour. I was on the phone for half an hour with a guy before he told me he couldn't schedule the delivery and I would have to speak to someone else. I was put back on hold for half an hour. I finally, after 90+ minutes on the phone, spoke to a lady. After I told her my entire story, she put me back on hold. We got cut off. I called back. The Brick was closed for the night. 

We were clearly in the middle of a conversation. She didn't call me back. This was Thursday night. No one called me back Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. 

Monday night, I called The Brick because I was trying to schedule a delivery for Thursday. This delivery date was confirmed to me. 

Wednesday (Sept 26), I realized I`d be in meetings the entire day, so I called The Brick to give them my dad`s cell number. When I did this, I was told I didn't have a delivery scheduled for the next day. After some back and forth and being put on hold, it turned out I did have a delivery scheduled. 

The next day, while at work, I get a text from my dad. They did delivery my third sofa but it was damaged so he didn't accept the delivery. Again, the sofa was supposed to be inspected prior to delivery and I had told The Brick if it was damaged to call me and not bother to deliver. This was Sept 27.

I ended up speaking to someone on Oct 10 and was able to schedule a delivery for after 5pm on Oct 17. I had to push for this as I was not willing to take time off of work and my dad wasn't in a position to give up an entire day again. I called Oct 15 to confirm the delivery and was told that the delivery had been rescheduled- without my consent or knowledge- to Friday during the day.  This was not going to work, as I was out of town.

Starting after the second sofa delivery, I started to request to speak to a manager. A manager would never take my calls nor would they return my calls. It took 8 request and 7 voicemail message before one finally took my call, on Oct 15. 

Her solution? For me to rent a U-Haul and exchange the sofa on my own time. 

It was around this time that I took my experience (and frustration) to Twitter. THIS is when The Brick started to take me seriously and I did get a call from their head office. The lady I spoke to was very helpful and arranged an after 5pm delivery for me, with the request that my sofa be inspected at the warehouse and again at the store before being delivered. 

Oct 23 my 4th sofa was delivered. When the delivery guys buzzed my apartment, they asked me to come down so they could show me somthing.

If you guessed that my 4th (or replacement, replacement, replacement) sofa was damaged, you'd be right! There was a rip and the leather was scratched. I did not accept the delivery. 

Just before 9am on Oct 27, I got a call confirming a delivery (my 5th!) for that day. 

The Brick had scheduled this delivery without my consent and without telling me. I was 2 hours away and not in a position to physically accept the delivery. I was furious. 

I ended up spending the next  2 hours speaking to various people at The Brick. I again spoke to someone from head office and was told she didn't want me to have this sofa and that I should go back to the store, pick another sofa and I could get it at staff pricing. 

So I did. 

Even with staff pricing, all the fabric sofas would be more than what I had originally paid. Bonded leather, what my original sofa was and what I wanted, would be an additional $200.

I was told the sofas were as shown- meaning I couldn't pick a sofa and change the fabric. So I had to settle for the sofa I hated the least. I don't like the shape/look of the sofa and I'm not crazy about the fabric colour either. 

So, this sofa that is nothing what I want and that I don't even like but I'm getting because I need a sofa, is going to cost me an extra $100-$200. That's right, I'm paying EXTRA to replace a damaged sofa and getting something not even close to what I want. 

It is a pull out bed. With a regular mattress, it's an additional $100. For the deluxe mattress, it's an extra $200. I was happy with the regular mattress. But I ended up going with the deluxe because it could be delivered on Wednesday (today) where as the regular mattress sofa wouldn't be able to be delivered until January! I am not waiting another 2+ months to get this settled and figured out!

My experience with The Brick has been nothing short of frustrating. I have blasted my experience on Twitter and Facebook. Everyone knows about my story and I get asked about it all the time- including by people I'm meeting for the first time. 

The good news is, that while my friends, family, co-workers, etc have been just as digusted by my experience, it has become a source of entertainment. Everyone's convinced that I'm being punk'd. It really IS the only way to explain all of this. 

To summarize:

• Bought a sofa I loved in July
• Have since had 4 damages sofas sent to me
• Requested to speak to a manager 8 times before one spoke to me, and when I did was told to "rent a U-Haul and exchange it on my own time.'
• Have had 2 deliveries changed/scheduled without my knowledge
• Horrible customer service experience
• The Brick decided they didn't want me to have a sofa that I LOVE
• I have to pay an additional $200 to replace the damaged sofa I currently have with a sofa I don't like
• I will NEVER shop at The Brick again

My father has once again cleared his schedule and is driving an hour and a half to accept my 6th sofa delivery. I hope all goes well and even though I DO NOT like this sofa, I hope it arrives undamaged.