Welcome to the 829th Metamorphosis Monday! If you’ve been reading BNOTP for a while, you know I tend to be snakebit when it comes to ordering large pieces of furniture online. Back when I was ordering storage cabinets for my garage, it was a struggle to get them delivered in one piece. The cabinets on the left with drawers were always professionally delivered with a big truck that had a lift for raising and lowering the long packages to the ground. Those always arrived in perfect condition. However, ordering the regular cabinets, the ones without drawers, was always a crapshoot. 
They fell just barely by a pound or two within the weight limit that UPS will deliver and about 80-90% of the time, they arrived damaged, sometimes damaged a lot! Here are a few photos of some of those deliveries.
Eventually, I gave up and started buying the cabinets from Walmart, having them delivered to the nearby Walmart Market and driving there with my SUV to pick them up, one box at a time. The Walmart guys would load them into my SUV with the hatch door tied down for the short 1-2 minute drive home. Once home, I would open the box in the back of my SUV and take the pieces out one at a time since the box was way too heavy to lift/pull out. That was the only way to get the cabinets delivered to my home in one piece. A few years later I ordered another cabinet and it was delivered by two guys in a big van. It arrived in perfect condition so I immediately ordered one more. The next time I tried to order a cabinet, it was delivered via UPS and arrived badly chipped and damaged. Once, the entire box was broken completely in half! I would still like two more cabinets for the storage side of my basement in Georgia, but I’m not sure it’s worth trying to get that done after all I went through with the other cabinets.
A few months back, I ordered this cabinet for my study here in the Dollhouse. I thought it would work on the wall behind my desk. Having never ordered a large cabinet for this home, I hoped it would be delivered professionally like the cabinets with the drawers were always delivered in Georgia.
Sadly, it was not. Unfortunately, it was delivered by a single UPS guy who struggled mightily to get it to my front porch. The UPS guy who normally delivers to our area is a petite gentleman, around my height or maybe a couple of inches taller, and slenderly built. The day the cabinet was delivered, I met him at the door and asked if he could help me slide the box into my foyer since there was no way I could budge it from the porch. I could see that the box was badly damaged so I had a bad feeling about what I was going to find when I opened it. The box was giving me flashbacks to all those nightmare cabinet deliveries in Georgia.
I opened the box on the damaged end, reached inside, and felt for a board that I thought was small enough that I could get it back in the box if it appeared damaged. One thing I learned from all the bad deliveries in Georgia is once you open the box and remove a few pieces, it’s virtually impossible to get the pieces back into the box and tape it back up. The pieces are always arranged just so, so once a box has been fully opened, the contents shift. So even without removing any pieces, it’s very difficult to reseal. The single piece I pulled out was very long and badly chipped. Same story, different day. 🙁 Thankfully nothing had shifted so I was able to get it back into the box.
Be Careful When Ordering From An Individual Seller: So here’s where it gets interesting. I hadn’t noticed when I ordered the cabinet that it wasn’t a “Prime” item but was being sold by an individual business. I discovered that when I started the return process. The return process stated that I had to contact the seller to get authorization for the return. I did that and the seller replied a day or so later asking for photos. I took photos of the damaged box and the piece that I had pulled out and sent those pictures to him. He approved the return and sent a return acknowledgment that stated, “You can ship your return package using a carrier of your choice. You will need to pay for the return postage costs.”
Thinking that maybe he was a new seller and didn’t understand how things worked, I let him know that I had no way to get the two extremely-heavy, large boxes into my SUV, and that my SUV was not large enough to hold either box—one was too tall/big, and the other one was too long. I told him that when an item arrives damaged, it’s the seller’s responsibility to arrange a pickup and cover the cost of the return. Throughout our email correspondence, I got the impression that he was in a different time zone since his replies to my emails were always delayed. Also, his messages were always very brief and written in a way that was not easy to understand. Again, I asked for the item to be picked back up, to which the seller replied that he couldn’t do that.
I tried a few more times to explain that he could call UPS, the delivery company he had used, and they would have the damaged boxes/items picked up. Each time, he refused saying he couldn’t do that. When I asked why, he seemed to be saying that he didn’t have a contract with anyone to pick things back up. This made no sense. Why would a company sell anything online, especially furniture, if they had no way to have the item picked back up if it arrived damaged?
After corresponding back and forth for several days and realizing that the seller was not going to have the cabinet picked up and had no intentions of issuing a refund, I let him know that I would turn the issue over to Amazon for help and that hopefully, they would have a solution. Within hours I received an email telling me that a refund had been issued. Again, I asked that the cabinet be picked up and the seller kept repeating that he couldn’t do that, that he had no one contracted to do that. During the time all this back-and-forth emailing was going on, I had decided to order something smaller for the area, hoping it would arrive undamaged. Fortunately, it arrived with no issues and is working well in the area behind my desk.
Relieved that he had at least issued a refund, I decided to worry about what to do with the damaged cabinet later. At first, I thought I’d donate it to Goodwill or offer it for free on a neighborhood site, but I wasn’t sure either of those options would work. Having donated furniture, lawnmowers, and other large items to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc… in the past, I know how particular they are about what they will, and will not pick up. Whenever I call to donate anything, they always ask detailed questions about the item…its size, its condition. If something is too old, like electronics/TVs, or is not in the best condition, they will not pick it up, and I don’t blame them. They are not junk collectors. So I was doubtful they would be willing to pick up unassembled furniture that was known to have some damage. I thought about calling one of the companies that picks up “junk” or unwanted stuff, but from previous experience, I know the minimal going rate for a pickup is usually $150. I was kinda annoyed that I had allowed myself to get stuck in this situation. I had so much else I was working on with the house during that time, I didn’t have the time or energy to deal with it when it was happening.
It’s been 5 months now, 5 months that the damaged, still- boxed cabinet has been sitting in my empty living room. A few weeks ago when I was working on a Christmas table setting here on the sunporch, I briefly wondered if I could squeeze a buffet or small china cabinet along the wall on the right that’s just barely visible in this photo. I remember seeing a buffet or a shorter cabinet there in photos from when the house was listed for sale over two years ago.
So, I got an idea. I decided to open the boxes and if the cabinet turned out to be not so badly damaged that it couldn’t be put together, I would assemble it and try it on the porch. If it was too big for the porch, or there was too much visible damage to use it on the porch, I would offer it to Goodwill or for free via a neighborhood site. If no one wanted it, then I’d pay the fee to have it hauled away.
I have found some additional chips and surface damage to the paint, but nothing that appears to be structural, at least not that I’ve come across so far. I’m hoping the damaged pieces will end up in areas that aren’t very noticeable once it’s assembled. It may not fit on the porch, but either way, I’ll share how this saga ends.
Looking forward to all the wonderful Before and Afters linked for this week’s Met Monday! Pssst: Did you know Between Naps On The Porch is on Instagram? You’ll find me on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch. Like to know when a new blog post is up? Subscribe for email updates (it’s free) and your e-mail will never be shared. Subscribe for free post updates here: Subscribe.
Metamorphosis Monday: Metamorphosis Monday is a party that’s all about Before and Afters. Please link up your Before and After projects like DIY projects, room makeovers, craft projects even recipes. Please do not link up Table Settings, save those for our Tablescape Thursday party on Thursday. If you are participating in Met Monday, you’ll need to link your post to the party using the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on the name of your post, then copy and paste the address that shows in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the “url” box for InLinkz when prompted.
I’m sorry this happened to you, Susan. It’s always a bit of a crap shoot when you order online, but at least you got a refund.
Thanks, Lisa! Yup, so glad Amazon backs us up when needed.
Susan – It is sooo frustrating to order furniture or large pieces online nowadays. My husband is the Prime member in the house so he does all the ordering on Amazon & is “hip to their tricks” (lol). I, however, am the order queen on Walmart.com. I just learned the hard way with smaller items. I ordered several boxes of tampons for donating to our local food pantry & I spotted name brand for much less than all the other sites so I placed the order. What I received in the mail were damaged boxes that were taped up. They looked like they might have been smashed in the shipping box and some middleman was selling them for less. Since none of them appeared to be opened all the way and none were missing, I will still donate them as the food pantry is always in need of these. But I will definitely be looking for just Walmart items from now on instead of intermediate sellers. I can only image your frustration with a much bigger item!
I feel your pain with Walmart. It seems that there are a lot of third party vendors on Walmart. I wanted a ladder. When I read the reviews, a lot of people said the products were used, missing parts and dirty. Being homebound for the past year, trying to order from Walmart has been disastrous every time. Trying to get a credit is worse. One time I ordered groceries and received expired items. Then it’s dealing with offshore customer no service. Dud I say I don’t like Walmart?
I’ve seen that problem on Walmart, too. Sorry that happened, Myrna.
Been there, done THE VERY SAME THING!! “It ain’t easy being us.” GOOD WISHES on ingenuity… franki
lol Thanks, Franki!
Hope it is a delicious lemonade!
Or a worthwhile donation.
Doesn’t it seem by now someone has invented a product of glue/sawdust that can take care of dings, something that cam be sanded and painted?
I know, matching the paint could be tricky. 🙂
Do you have a DAV (Disabled American Veterans) pickup in your area? They’ve been a really good resource for me.
I just checked and, unfortunately, here they wouldn’t take your cabinet.
Thanks for checking that. When I finally get it together, if there are no other issues and it doesn’t look too damaged, I’m hoping it will fit on the porch. That was nice of you to check, though!
Thanks for having us over, Susan. Sorry for all the frustration, especially this busy time of year. Take care and enjoy the days up to Christmas.
Thanks, Debra! Definitely getting busier!
What a process…hope it works out. Sorry you had to go through all this…
Thanks, Ann! ♥
OMG, Susan, I had the exact same problem w/ buying from an individual from Amazon except mine was about a Christmas tree in a box that I never opened.
The seller gave me acknowledgement, but suggested I resell the tree myself.
I was getting ready to let Amazon know, but right then my husband realize that we’d been refunded in full by Amazon.
I’d like to think they’re catching on to some of their “individuals.”
Wendy
Yeah, that’s the awesome thing about Amazon: They do stand behind you when issues like that pop up. I’m so glad you didn’t have to go through a big deal to get it corrected.
Susan, you order a lot online. I don’t know how you manage. Do you have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in the area? They picked up a door for me when I replaced my front door. If it doesn’t work out, save the shelves in case you need one when/if you move the cabinets from GA
I have to be the worst at online ordering. I needed to order two Christmas presents to be delivered. One was “free shipping today only,” Never knew the store had two divisions. Finally got shipping charge removed but whether they credited my card is another story.Trying to get groceries delivered has been difficult. One has an annual fee and you pay a lot more per item, delivery fee and tip. Walmart grocery delivery is a nightmare. Too old and impatient for this.
Remember, I win the lottery, never touching a screwdriver to put something together again !
Yeah, I really don’t enjoy fighting the traffic this time of year, so I love ordering online and having it delivered.
I too made a mistake buy buying on amazon from a thrid party seller who does not give refunds so be very careful when ordering and make sure it will say refunds
Good advice, Carol! I so agree!
If the cabinets don’t work on the porch, and if your basement will be used as a playroom for your grandsons, you might consider putting the cabinets there to store games, etc. It is nice for children to be able to play w/o thinking of scuffing or damaging furniture. Ask any farm kid – the best place to play is in the barn – nothing to damage out there!
That’s a great idea! I’d have to build it down there or take it apart to get it down there, but I like that idea!
Oh, and I love that about playing in the barn! That sounds like the perfect place to play when growing up. 🙂
But it is so cute……So sorry for your frustrations. So far my only Christmas delivery snafu is I got a duplicate. If it is an easy return, I will, if not, my daughter and I will have matching pajamas!!
Peace
Oh, matching pajamas sounds so cute! Maybe it was meant to be.
So sorry for you hassle. We have all gotten “stuck” at some point with a purchase. Don’t beat yourself up. Just one more thing to be educated about when purchasing online.
Have a Merry Christmas anyway!
Good point! Thanks, Toni! I hope you’re having a great Christmas season. I spent much of the day wrapping gifts and thought I was done, then realized I have two more to go. Arggh. lol
Oh my golly, Susan. I am so sorry. Sounds like you handled it all like a true champ. Hope it works for you. Hang in there. Sure a busy time to be messing with it all, but I cannot blame you one bit. Good luck!!!
Thanks, Michele! Appreciate that!
XXX
Goodness! What a process! Can’t wait to hear how it works – I hope you can use it somewhere.
Thanks as always for the party, and Happy Monday!
I hope so, too. Definitely time to get them out of the living room.
Thanks, Barbara!
It’s almost certain that Amazon refunded your money and not the seller. They are really good about making things right, especially with loyal customers. You might consider leaving a review on that sellers’ page to let others know that if they find themselves in the same situation, they won’t get much help from the seller. I can’t imagine what the return shipping costs for something that heavy would have been. I hope your ‘lemonade’ solution works out 🙂
Not sure, I got the impression that he did it himself. I know, as heavy as it is, I’m sure it wasn’t cheap. I wonder if he had insurance on it.
Susan,
Thanks so much for hosting this wonderful party!! I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into it along with visiting all the links!! I hope you are having a great week!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Thanks, Debbie! Merry Christmas!
XXX
Ohhh Susan!
I can’t wait to see how this saga turns out! Love your projects, always inspiring ! Thanks for the insight into ordering online. I will definitely be more aware of who the sellers actually are!
Thanks so much, Linda! Yes, good lesson for me to pay more attention when ordering.
I ordered one cabinet for my garage just like the ones you have without drawers. It came in undamaged and my son put it together and it works like a charm for the space I needed it.
That’s a bad situation. But I’m glad you decided to see if you can put it together and maybe use it on your Sun Porch, I knew you would love having a hutch or cabinet out there to decorate. It will look so pretty there, I hope it’s not too damaged for you to use.