7 reviews with 2 stars
I purchased a Herman Miller chair from Madison seating a few years ago. Within 2 years the armrest material (?leather) began to crack and look awful. Madison seating sent me a complimentary replacement pair which I installed myself. 3 years later, new armrests are cracking again! When I called today I was told they won't replace these and that I should go to eBay to get a replacement set. Even though the manufacturer (Herman Miller) warranties the arm rests for 12 years, the reseller (Madison seating) refuses to do so. For me it's all about customer service and this represents poor service.
- Helpful? Yes 5
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Update 10/29/2018
First, props to Madison Seating for making some positive changes to their website to correct the issues I encountered in my original review. I've upgraded my review by one star, though I don't feel I can justify more than that unless I ever buy another product from them and have a more positive experience. Still, they are moving in the right direction here.
I just took another look at their site, and decided the changes warranted an update here. They finally removed their deceptive "satisfaction guarantee" blurb and replaced it with a far more accurate "moneyback guarantee" link. Also, unlike the previous blurb which linked to a page full of misinformation, the new link now takes you directly to their Terms of Service, so you can see what you're actually getting.
For the curious, I attached a screenshot of what their old "satisfaction guarantee" used to promise, so you can see what the issue was. For most online purchases, paying return shipping isn't a huge deal. But when it's for a chair you paid $500 for instead of buying a new one for $500 more, a $200 return shipping charge is a pretty big deal. At that point, you may as well have bought the new chair for a couple hundred bucks more.
**ORIGINAL REVIEW**
Their "satisfaction guarantee" is false advertising and worthless. Even though they say you have 30 days to return an item and they will pay the return shipping, this is a lie. Hidden in their terms and conditions, they state that not only is the customer liable to pay return shipping, they also charge a $50 restocking fee. The Aeron chair we ordered was too small, and between shipping and restocking fee, it is costing $216 to return the chair.
As for the chair itself, they do indicate that they are open box. This is true, but a bit deceptive. They are essentially used chairs that Madison Seating refurbishes. They claim they provide a 10-year warranty for their Aeron chairs, but given how untrustworthy their "satisfaction guarantee" is, I wouldn't trust this one bit. The chair I got was in good condition, and did look practically new, so if you can be sure you're getting what you want the first time, it can still be a good deal.
Also, their shipping was VERY SLOW. Estimated arrival was 8-10 business days from the date it was ordered, well, it was over 2 weeks before they even made a shipping order, and then another 3 days before they finally shipped it.
In conclusion, if you are sure you know exactly what you want, and you can't find a better price for a nearly-new chair, Madison may still be your best option. Just be aware of what you're getting into.
Update 12/14/2016: Madison is now threatening legal action because of my reviews pointing out their dishonesty. At this point, I cannot recommend this company under any circumstances.
I have photo proof of the purchase, screenshot proof of their lies on their website, which at this point, anyone can still see for themselves, and if they change it, I'm quite certain Google cache will still reveal the truth to anyone who cares.
DO NOT TRUST THIS COMPANY.
Update 6/30/2017, Re: Madison seating response
Yes, as I already clearly stated in my honest and accurate review, you can find the ACTUAL return policy hidden away in the terms and conditions. Calling it "clearly visible" is, at best, somewhat disingenuous, as the terms and conditions conditions are not easily accessible until the purchase page, and then not highly visible so as to attract attention. Unlike the entirely false so-called "satisfaction guarantee" made extremely visible and attention-grabbing on the home page. It is blatant false advertising, nothing more, nothing less. Any company this blatant and shameless with false advertising is a company I can neither trust nor recommend to anyone else to any extent.
The fact that so many reviews exist revealing similar experiences speaks volumes.
Also note that to this date, Madison Seating has never contacted us in any attempt to resolve this amicably, but only to threaten. We ended up selling the chair ourselves at a far more moderate and less-costly loss than returning it.
Caveat emptor.
Tip for consumers: This company cannot be trusted, period.
- Helpful? Yes 25
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Horrible customer service. I ordered a display cabinet online. It took forever to be delivered and when it was it was damaged so I took pictures and refused delivery. Then I immediately submitted a request for return. When I was not issued the return number that I was supposed to get, I contacted customer service and they told me that they were working directly with the delivery company and I didn't need to worry about it. After waiting several weeks to hear back from them on how they were going to resolve my return, I filed a complaint with my credit card company to dispute the Madison Seating charge. At that point I finally got an e-mail from Madison Seating, but still no resolution. I never heard back from Madison Seating, but several weeks later I got a notice from my credit card company that Madison Seating had issued a refund.
- Helpful? Yes 4
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A previous user said it best: "smells like the inside of a fiesta on a used car lot". When I got my "open box" leap it reeked of a chemical cocktail. It's been three weeks and the smell still hasn't subsided. On the other hand if you enjoy sniffing chemicals for pleasure, this won't be an issue for you.
- Helpful? Yes 4
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Misleading in Purchasing an Aeron Chair - What does "open box" mean? Used? Floor model? Returned? The shipping label was created, delivery date estimated to be 2 days later, I received it a week later... not sure why they psych you out like that. Chair arrives, no assembly instructions with Posturefit, so YouTube it is that helps. The chair is obviously used as it has marks and dings and smells like the inside of a Fiesta on a used car lot. I'm fearful of keeping this thing as it sounds like if I were to have issues 3 weeks+ down the line this could get pricey and problematic as there's no Herman Miler serial number, just one from Madison Seating. I've owned several Aeron chairs and haven't had issues with them, but depending on what Madison Seating is selling, I am concerned based on these other views....
- Helpful? Yes 6
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What a saga it was just to deliver a simple desk. The freight delivery company they used here in southern California was horrible. They never called to schedule delivery, just decided to head out and attempt to show up but then called me after they got lost where I had to spend a half hour giving them turn-by-turn directions.
After all that they didn't even deliver the desk, because I wasn't home since they didn't bother to schedule delivery ahead of time. I specifically instructed them to drop it off at the leasing office of my apartment so they wouldn't have to come out again. I come home to find no package at the office then tell me they would need to charge me $100 to attempt delivery again because I couldn't take their initial surprise delivery.
After a week of going back and forth with the delivery company and finally with Madison, they took care of not charging me $100 for another delivery attempt, which is the only reason I gave them 2 stars. So I finally take delivery of my desk...except only one of the boxes contains parts of my desk in it. I opened the other box and it was the legs to a completely different item (coffee table?).
So here we go back to another round of dealing with customer service and the delivery company to return the random coffee table I got and get the legs to the desk I ordered. I still haven't gotten my whole desk yet, and while in the end I think they'll get everything to me, just...never again. Get a new delivery company, the one they use in the L.A. area at least has been a total pain.
- Helpful? Yes 5
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Customer Questions & Answers
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Hi Joyce. Feel free to reach out to our customer care department by emailing customerservice@madisonseating.com
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Hi Alice. Thank you for your inquiry! Our records indicate that you placed an order with our company on 5/19/15. At that time, you were told the delivery time frame would be around 10-14 business days. Your chair is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow which is right within the time frame we estimated. The chair you purchased was part of our clearance sale section and the prices are reduced considerably so that yourr savings will be several hundred dollars. Due to the tremendous response on our clearance sale items, the delivery time gets estimated at 10-14 business days. Our customer's are willing to wait the extra few days on the shipping since our prices and services cannot be beat. Your purchase includes a 30 day satisfaction guarantee and 10 year warranty with Madisonseating.com. Feel free to contact our customer service department directly for more information relating specifically to your order. Enjoy your new chair!
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Patricia. We understand there was an error in the color chair you received. We offered to pick up the chair at our expense and issue a full refund as we are now sold out of the blue Aeron chair. We did not intentionally ship you an incorrect color chair. Mistakes happen. This was an honest mistake done by a packer, probably due to the holiday rush. The color black and blue are hard to discern on a mesh chair. Please return the chair at this point as your reaction to the error has been a tad excessive.
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Hi Lonnie. We do not simply cancel orders without there being a good reason. Your placed (2) separate orders with us and it appears you are confused by your purchases. The first order was processed successfully with the payment you provided and shipped in a timely manner. You were emailed a confirmation of this order along with an order number assigned for that transaction. On the second order you attempted to place you provided a new email address and an invalid credit card number. The order was flagged as a potentially fraudulent transaction and subsequently canceled. Again, an email confirmation with a DIFFERENT order number was emailed to you along with a notification indicating there was an issue with the payment provided. It appears you may have gotten confused by your own purchases. We are always available if you need further clarification on these 2 separate purchases.
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As an online company we are vigilant about fraud. You provided an invalid credit card number that was being declined by our processor. Your order has a high fraud rating and was flagged. If a customer is indeed legitimate and not looking to commit online fraud, they would have rectified the situation with the credit card and simply placed a new order online.
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The warranty we offer covers any mechanical issues that may arise during normal use of the product
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Thank you for your interest in Madison Seating, currently the largest retailer in North America for brand name office chairs at the lowest prices possible! The "Open Box Specials" featured on our website are a great way to save money on the best selling chairs on the market today. These brand name chairs are being sold for more than half off their retail value and will include free shipping!! "Open Box" simply means, the item is out of the original packaging. The chair was either, returned, refurbished, on display or has been in inventory for awhile and since been placed on a clearance. The merchandise is in perfect working condition. In addition, you will be provided with a 30 day money back satisfaction guarantee and 10-year Madison Seating warranty. We are so confident that our prices are currently the lowest on the internet we are willing to not only match but beat anyone selling these item(s) at a lower cost. Best regards, Allie Madison Seating 888-704-3435
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Thank you for your interest in Madison Seating, currently the largest retailer in North America for brand name office chairs at the lowest prices possible! The "Open Box Specials" featured on our website are a great way to save money on the best selling chairs on the market today. These brand name chairs are being sold for more than half off their retail value and will include free shipping!! "Open Box" simply means, the item is out of the original packaging. The chair was either, returned, refurbished, on display or has been in inventory for awhile and since been placed on a clearance. The merchandise is in perfect working condition. In addition, you will be provided with a 30 day money back satisfaction guarantee and 10-year Madison Seating warranty. We are so confident that our prices are currently the lowest on the internet we are willing to not only match but beat anyone selling these item(s) at a lower cost. Best regards, Allie Madison Seating 888-704-3435
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Hi Fong, Our records indicate that you were sent an email apologizing for the error in sending you a the Size B chair and not the Size A chair as requested. We offered you a generous compensation to keep the incorrect size chair or the option of picking up the chair for full refund or exchange. In fact, a fedex pre-paid label was already sent to you. Please contact our customer service department if you did not receive this information. The Team at Madisonseating.com
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MadisonSeating?
"Conrad Hershberger
One way or another, this issue will be dealt with, whether with your company's assistance or without...At this point, I am still willing to resolve this issue peacefully, and if a satisfactory resolution is achieved, I will amend my reviews to reflect that..."
It's unfortunate the reviewer chose to use online blogs as a means to make us give in to his unwarranted demands.