Days# 8-19: My Last, Grueling Week+ with Dania Furniture

This is the final post in the series of how Dania Furniture ruined my life.  There will be follow-up posts on how I resolved my furniture dilemma, and reflection on this anti-Dania campaigning and how it's changing the world as we know it.

• Day #1: Dania Furniture Debacle: Dania Fails to Deliver Pt. 1 (occurred on 2/16)
• Day #1: Dania Furniture Debacle: Dania Fails to Deliver Pt. 2 (occurred on 2/16)
• Day #2: I'll Show you What $75 Can Do (occurred on 2/17)
• Day #3: The Birth of the Anti-Dania Furniture Revolution (occurred on 2/18)
• Day #5: Dania Furniture Store Manager Conversation.  It Was Terrible. (occurred on 2/21)
• Day #6: Regional Manager of Dania Furniture Approves Western Avenue's Stores "Cutting of Ties" (occurred on 2/22)

Getting rid of the terrible Dania chair seemed like a straightforward task, especially considering the hours of negotiating and temper tantrums that were exhibited.  However, as I've come to learn...doing business with Dania Furniture is anything but straightforward.  It's a terribly tiring experience of posturing, deflection, and blame..but of course, I wouldn't give into their sophomoric behavior...I'm too good for that...



Day #8: Terrible Dania Furniture Pick-Up Delayed Due to "Snow" (2/24)
Getting rid of the chair proved to be a chore in and of itself.  For 6 days, I would suffer the pain of having that terrible chair sitting in my living room.  I was filled a deep void within that left a longing to be whole again...but that couldn't be.

I received a voicemail from the sales associate that sold me the couch informing me that consternation of snow concerns had forced Suntrax Logistics to suspend all deliveries and pickups on the previously agreed upon date of Saturday, February 26th.  His voicemail was cordial and he informed me that I would be contacted by Suntrax for a rescheduled date.

Good thing I didn't hold my breath, because that call never arrived.


Day #10: Seattle Snow Stalls Pick-up of Terrible Dania Furniture (2/26)
Below is a picture of an intersection near my apartment on the feared Seattle Snow Day of 2011, that caused Suntrax Delivery to cancel all of its deliveries.

As you can tell, there was zero snow accumulation on the fateful snow day that caused  to rule out all delivery.  In all fairness, other parts of the greater Seattle area did receive material accumulation, but those were outlying areas and the majority of the metropolitan area of Seattle was snow-free.  It was just cold.  It seems to reason that Suntrax could have strategically targeted areas that would be safe to drive in.  Presumably, there were enough deliveries within these areas to justify the travel, considering they offer terrible delivery for other companies.  Regardless, it's better safe than sorry, I suppose...especially considering that delivery positions are typically underpaid, despite the demanding, tiring, physical nature of the job.

Oh, well well well...I would have to continue to be patient, because the light at the end of the tunnel was still in sight, although flickering, and a little fainter...but they'll call me back soon, right? 

Day #11: 7AM????? (2/27)

I woke up at 9:30AM on Sunday and wandered into my living room to prepare coffee for the morning.  I left my phone in the living room, and was greeted by a voicemail recording from earlier in the morning - 7AM, when the Suntrax Deliverymen were downstairs waiting for me to buzz them in.  Needless to say, the chair stayed for another day.

I called Dania and left a voicemail with them explaining the situation, as I was deeply disturbed by the fact that I had not received my call from Suntrax to reschedule the pick up date. I was furious, because I could feel my quality of life declining precipitously with the mere presence of that godforesaken couch in my apartment.  I needed it out of my residence, and I needed to feel like I could move on with my life.  And, really...who wakes up at 7AM on a Sunday?  Very few people in this entire universe wake up that early on a Sunday (trust me, I checked), so it is unreasonable to assume that I would be available/conscious/awake at that ungodly hour on a whim.  Now, if that were the agreed upon date and time, I would be more than happy to accommodate for that.

Now, you might be saying that I'm complaining to the wrong company, but you need to understand that all coordination of delivery and fees are handled through Dania.  Because they handle the transaction and act as a third party in coordinating the business, they must fulfill that end of the deal in times when the pickup or delivery services are insufficient, like in my situation.

It's simply amazing how two terrible companies could find each other and partner with one another to ruin the lives of the customers that want to buy their product.

Day #12: Dania Furniture Plays the Blame Game...Yet Again... (2/27)

I never heard back from them on Sunday, although I left them a voicemail not to soon after they open up, so I called them the following day.  This conversation was a bit tense, but was quick, relative to previous phone feuds.

I explained the situation to them on the phone, and at first they said I would need to contact Suntrax to coordinate this.  I retorted this by remind them that this terrible experience was bordering two weeks, and investing anymore time in chasing my tail with them and Suntrax was not my job, nor a part of the agreement for them to help me get rid of that terrible chair in my living room.

Day #14: Furniture Be Gone (3/2)

Within a couple of days, Suntrax and Dania finally responded and scheduled a chair removal date that actually worked.  Around 7AM a punctual gentlemen arrived on Wednesday morning to pickup my chair.  Without any grave fear of the snow, followed up by coordination between the Western store manager with Suntrax delivery, the chair was finally out of my life.

Immediately a burden was lifted from my shoulders.  I could finally breathe a little easier, and was suddenly reminded of how happy I could be in life...like my pre-Dania life...although I would likely have to emotionally rehab myself for the next few years, at least.

Day #19: "Stop calling here!" (3/7)

Now that the couch was gone, I called the store to see when I could anticipate my full exchange being reflected on my credit card statement.  I asked in a straightforward manner, because I didn't want to accrue any interest from that purchase.  The sales associate that picked up the phone responded with, "We already gave you your money back! Stop calling here!"

What customer service.  I didn't even throw any attitude, nor was I emotionally charged.  I just wanted to know when I could anticipate my hundreds of dollars back for that terrible furniture.  It turns out that my credit card was credited with the remainder of my Dania return on 3/5, but it just had not posted to my online account.  No worries there, I wasn't mad that it wasn't immediately posted; I just wanted to know when this would occur.  I guess some things will never change...

Day #2: I'll Show you What $75 Can Do (2/17)

This is the third installment in the dramatic series of my negative review of shopping at Dania Furniture.


Preceding Posts:
Chapter I. Day #1 Dania Furniture Debacle: Dania Fails to Deliver (2/16) Pt. 1
Chapter II. Day #1 Dania Furniture Debacle: Dania Fails to Deliver (2/16) Pt. 2


When tomorrow arrived, I gave him a call to check in on things.  I reasoned that yesterday's conversation made some headway at the end. At the very least, I felt we had come to the same conclusion: since the delivery was not executed, it needed to be, at no additional cost.

Within seconds of placing my phone call, we were back to square negative one.  He was unable to help me.  Unable/unwilling to escalate this issue to anyone outside of the store. Nothing changed.

It should also be noted that according to what he had heard from the Dania warehouse, the "feet" on the couch were off!  Yes, the very feet that did not allow passage of the couch into my building's elevator in the first place.  My first thought was "Is someone playing a practical joke on me?"

When the hell did they come off on the way back to the warehouse?  If they were so easy to remove, why weren't they removed?  It was moot at this point, however, although I did express my discontentment when I heard that.  I was still irate about the additional delivery fee that loomed above my head.

I was still shocked there wasn't a single soul in the Dania Furniture Universe that could help me with my situation. Sure, the store manager was out of town, but could it really be utterly impossible to help me with my problem?  I couldn't get over the fact that I had to pay to have it redelivered or select a different couch and pay for the potential delivery of it.

I immediately questioned the sales associate with a barrage of inquiries that were met with no answers...

• How come these sales associates are not equipped with the ability to mitigate customer issues such as mine? 
• What is the fear in empowering these sales associates to have more autonomy to ensure the customers have a positive experience from start to finish?
• How come this issue does not have a reasonable solution that does not charge the customer additional funds?
• If this company has been in business for 20+ years, then how come they have not already invested the effort or energy in having a solution in place for this specific problem?

In an effort to appeal to him, I relied on three tactics that have proven to be successful for me in the past, when negotiating with terrorists.

I. Intensifying the Original Demand

I pleaded for him to call corporate or the district manager, but he stonewalled me yet again.  It was clear that my frustrations grew when I asked him to call the CEO of the Evil Dania Furniture Empire.  I demanded that he/she arrive at my apartment in his/her Suburban with the sofa I purchased, and that if he/she didn't have said automobile - to buy it. It may be argued that this was a ridiculous request, but considering that I had to pay an additional $75 for non-guaranteed service in order to get what I purchased, I felt/feel 100% justified.

II. Emotional Appeal
I also shared with him an emotional recount of the night before when I had some friends over.  Due to the limited seating in my living room, I offered up my only two seating opportunities to my guests.  I took the floor, and within minutes of this occurring, I was nearly laughed out of my apartment for being a plebeian.  Unfortunately, he extended zero sympathy to my social debacle. I saw this new furniture purchase as an opportunity, to impress my friends and earn major social points. That didn't happen though.  For the first time, purchasing expensive, desirous items to boost my self-esteem and my social standing failed me.  It blew up in my face.  The way my friends exited my apartment, giggling at me, in such haste, will never leave my memory.  I fear I've lost them forever, or at the very least, there isn't any way in hell they'll ever come back to my apartment.  My eyes began to well up as I recounted the traumatic memories that still stung, like freshly exposed stab wounds, and my voice was weak at times.  I had a few faint sniffles and took a few unintended dramatic pauses, but like a Grenadier Guard, he didn't bare any emotion at all.

"This guy is good," I remember thinking to myself, so I had to proceed to more aggressive means. At the very least, it provided me with a segue, where I could express how much emotional damage this shopping experience has inflicted upon me.

III. Legal Threats
Due to the emotional detriment I experienced and was experiencing, I told him that I would be seeing a psychiatrist soon to deal with these issues.  I then told him I was going to sue them and send all my "crazy bills" to the company.  If my memory serves me right, I expressed to him that these said expenses would likely be in the millions of dollars, in addition to the punitive damages I would be due for what feels like life-threatening pain and suffering.

He expressed minimal concern to my mental health issues, and batted them away effortlessly, like Godzilla swatting down helicopters.  I couldn't do anything to shake this guy.  He had the tenacity of an unruly Roman warrior slaying the opposition and reducing them to a pile of blood and limbs.  He was just getting warmed up, and I was losing steam.  Towards the end of this 30+ minute conversation, I grew tired, light-headed and weary.  He had the energy to keep up with me and then some, which is part of their rigorous anti-customer service regimen, I'm sure.  I bet he does 60 minutes of cardio a day, so he can build the stamina to fend off all reasonable customer service inquiries, as per Dania Corporate's training policy.  Anyway, I told him that he had made himself clear and that I respected him as a formidable opponent.  I also articulated that I didn't blame him, per se`.  It's all Dania Furniture's fault, but since I was unable to speak with someone with the mystical powers of getting me my furniture that I already bought, he was the only one I could express my frustrations to.  I also said I wouldn't be calling again, and asked him to call me if he had any news to share.

Our conversation ended as cordially as it could, and the solution to this problem would have to wait for yet another day, at least.  I left him with a final, thought, however.  I said, "$75 is a lot of money.  I'll show you what that is capable of producing...I'll show you what $75 can do."

More on that to come, and the continuation of the saga that is the terrible shopping experience at Dania Furniture.

Day #1 Dania Furniture Debacle: Dania Fails to Deliver (2/16) Pt. 2

This is a continuation from this post.

The answer is/was NO, Dania Furniture did not have a reasonable solution to this gigantic problem.  In fact, when I called them to explain what had happened and discuss the necessary next steps, I was instantly rebuffed.  Yes, I was perturbed that I did not receive my couch when I thought I would, but as a reasonable man, I figured there should be an easy solution to this.  As per Dania's anti-customer focus, the sales associate immediately blamed me for not measuring every facet of my apartment building to prepare for the furniture.  Interestingly enough, this gentleman on the phone was the one that actually sold me the sofa, and didn't mention a syllable about measuring all the rabbit holes.  In fact, the residents that lived in the unit before I moved in had enormous sectionals half a football field in length, so I just assumed this sofa wouldn't be a problem.  He also told me that if I wanted to have it redelivered or pick out another couch, I have to pay $75 to have it "re-delivered."  (By the by, how can something be "redelivered" when it wasn't delivered in the first place?  You can't "re" anything until you do it at least once.  They brought the couch to the apartment building, but they didn't get it inside my unit.  Perhaps that's the way they define delivery - bringing it to the street address, minus the unit, guaranteed.)  He was unwilling to budge on this with me, because the delivery services are outsourced to Suntrax Logistics.  There was never any sort of apology, explanation or way to reason with him.  He was straightforward, and hurled all the responsibility on me, despite the fact that it was him and his godforesaken store that sold me the the largest couch in the universe and chair.  I basically ended up paying a company to bring an overpriced chair to my apartment for $75, and there was nothing he was willing to try to do for me, at this point.

Reasoning and/or my side of the story was not of his concern/interest; he shut me down immediately, so I said my goodbye and hung up.  With my heart beating outside of my chest and tears almost welling up in my eyes, I felt emotionally decimated.  Not only did I not have the couch I purchased and paid to have delivered to me, I had to eat $75 with in "delivery" expenses and face the idea of picking out another couch and paying for another delivery fee.

It's amazing how a lack of customer service can have a lasting affect on the consumer.  Isn't it wrong to instantly hurl blame onto me, the innocent, doe-eyed customer spending my discretionary income on overpriced metrosexual furniture? Within five minutes of hanging up the phone, I decided to completely nix the idea of giving into their faux-furniture delivery scheme and dialed up the store phone number again.

Within a couple of rings, it was that terrible sales associate who sold me the sofa he blamed me for picking, so I responded to his condescending phone greeting and immediately said, "Can I speak to anyone but you?"  I was then passed off onto another sales associate, who was self-proclaimed "lower on the totem pole" than the guy I was speaking to.  That was fine with me, I just wanted to understand if someone could see my point of view.  I explained to him how the movers were unable to bring the couch into my apartment.  I explained the issue with the couch's feet protruding and blocking the movers from being able to move the couch into the elevator to take to my unit.  I also explained that bringing the furniture up the stairs was also shot down by the movers and that only the chair was delivered.  I explained to him that my $75 covered the shipping of both the couch and chair and that not refunding me part of the delivery fee and/or redelivering the couch or picking out a new one should come at a $0 delivery fee.  After all, how can you charge me a delivery fee when it wasn't delivered?  It does not make any sense.  The delivery failed; I only received one of two items I had paid to have delivered.

Fortunately this gentlemen agreed with me, and I knew right away that I found my angle and opening to rectify this situation, singlehandedly.  Immediately, I asked to speak to the sales associate who picked up the phone/sold me the couch.  I ran him down the checklist of items and got him to agree with me that the fulfillment of my delivery was not satisfied.  He also agreed with me that charging me an additional delivery fee was exorbitant, but stated that store policy barred him from making any exceptions. When I asked him to see if there was a way around this, he instructed me that his store manager was unavailable until the upcoming Saturday (2/19).

What was most frustrating of all was the fact that he was unwilling to work with me on finding a solution that didn't cost me more money. He was unwilling to reach out to anyone above him, as I asked him to reach out to the district manager and/or corporate headquarters for any assistance for this problem. He stonewalled me when I asked him if this is the first time that this has ever happened to anyone, he stated "no, this is not" but that "most people just pay the $75 to have it resent, or pay $75 for another couch to be delivered."  Apparently Dania does not have any issues with adding more cost to an inherently expensive shopping experience.  When I pointed out how terrible of a customer service experience it is, he didn't have anything to respond to me with.

Now, I understand that he was most likely acting in the way that he was trained.  I can't fault him for perpetuating their terrible customer service, because that's how he was taught to react (I even expressed this to him in a later conversation you will soon read about).  This is clearly an issue for corporate to fix, but I still did not appreciate his refusal to provide any sort of solution to this problem.  To his credit, he kept his cool and at the very least did humor me by listening to my hysterical diatribe that included the following statements, as best as my traumatized mind can recall:

• "Don't you know how much this is ruining my life?  I have to pay an additional $75 to have something maybe delivered to me?  I am such a victim."
• "This is ruining my entire day.  I had such high hopes of going home today after work and sitting on my couch, where I would eventually pass out on.  It was going to be awesome, but now I can't do that.  Do you realize how terrible this makes me feel?"
• "Dania is ruining my life.  I hate Dania Furniture."

Most importantly of all, however, by the end of the conversation, I got him to agree with me that this was an unfortunate situation.  I asked him to confirm if my being upset by this is reasonable, and he agreed with me.  By the end of the conversation, whether it was to appease me, or not, he said he would "see what he could do to help me out."  Since I had maxed out my diatribe quota, I told him that I appreciated this gesture and would like to follow-up with him the next day...

Dania Furniture Delivery Truck

If I had seen the delivery truck, I probably wouldn't have purchased from Dania Furniture to begin with.  If only I knew then what I know now...