Warranty and Service Plan

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Do you really need a service plan?  This is a tough topic for many consumers.  It’s brand new.  You just bought it.  What could possibly go wrong?  Everything.

My answer is . . . YES!

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Many people feel like this is just a money grab from the retailer selling the furniture, but having worked in this business for over 30 years, I can assure you it is not.  This is absolutely a way for you to protect your furniture investment Most of the time protection plans, services plans, or warranties are only an extra $200 on top of the purchase price and if something happens you have a leg to stand on.  I cannot tell you how many times customers would come back into the store with their tale of woe but no matter how much you yell and scream at the service counter, not very much ends up happening . . . ever.  “Oh, we are so sorry this happened to you.  It’s never happened to anybody ever before.  I swear.  You’re the first.  I’m so sorry but my hands are tied.  I could try to speak to the manufacturer”.  But they never do, because more often than not the manufacturer is in another far far away country.  Nothing is going happen.  You will be disappointed and not buy from that store again, but you still own the problem.

I used to love it when a customer would come into the store and break out the magical sheet, the service plan.  They were met with smiles and friendliness and we were eager to help them any way we could.  There was nothing to discuss.  They had  paid for the service plan, and that is what they were going to get.  Service.  Of course it might be different if someone had burned a hole in a sofa cushion or scratched the top of a wood dining table with a nail.  There are and always will be exceptions to what the plan will cover but overall the service plans are there to help you.  Be sure to ask your sales consultant if the plan they are offering includes damage caused by how you use it, such as water damage on your dining room table.  I just can’t tell you how often someone would come into the store with what they thought was a major dilemma, but once we had collected the information and just their service plan number, off they go happy; knowing the situation would be fixed in a timely manner.

My favorite product for this, is mattresses; an item you plan on using every single night of the year for the next 8 to 10 years and you only get to lie on it for thirty minutes in a store.  All the while, a sales rep is hanging over you, trying to convince you that there are 1000 individual pocket coils forged from pure galvanized steel to give you a great sleep and long term comfort.  This is insane.  You are using this every day.  More often than not you will be sharing this item with another person every day . . . for years.  I have always strongly believed you need a little more than just one hour.  This is why I can’t stress this point enough you MUST purchase the warranty plan before you leave the store.  Once you get a mattress home and sleep on it for a few days you may find out that, like Goldilocks, the mattress is too soft or too firm, and once it’s in your home, it is too late.  Mattress exchange or whatever that store calls it – is a must!  The last thing you want is a unit that you just paid $4,000 for and you can’t return or exchange it.  Most of the time these policies are less than $200 and are well worth it.  ALL companies will gladly exchange the mattress if you have the warranty plan.

Mattress pads are sometimes a requirement as well.  The store or the manufacturer will insist that you use a mattress pad to protect their product while you are trying it out for the next few weeks.  Again, it’s worth the money.  If you don’t have the pad and it is a mandatory step, then the store will not help you.

The funny thing is that so many sales reps make it sound like the store or manufacturer is going to do everything in their power to make sure you get exactly what you want when it comes to handling your furniture problem, but the second that your order is written, then these are just words in the wind, unless you have a commitment in writing.

So in my humble opinion –  buy any and all service plans when it comes to buying furniture.  They are relatively affordable and then you have some protection for your investment.

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