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Domenick of Barnegat NJ (06/28/08)
ON April 13, 2008, my wife and I went to the East Brunswick Crib and Teen City to buy a bed for our daughter. We wanted a bed in natural wood color to match her other furniture. Gary, the manager and his salesman explained that Lea was coming out with a bed, in a light color and showed us a catalog. My wife and I liked it and ordered it. We got the same old 4-6 week story for delivery. The furniture was delivered on June 23 (4-6 weeks....RIGHT). The bed was not the light color we saw in the store.
We drove and hour and a half back to East Brunswick that night to meet with this pea-brained Gary. He said Lea sent the wrong bed and he'd make some calls the next day. We didn't get a response for 2 days. I tried to call customer service and no one there answers their phone. My wife and I left messages and got no return call. Finally, I got in contact with Gina in customer service. She said she would call me the next morning round 10 with an answer for me. As of noon, no one called us.
I began to call Gary and Gina, only to leave messages. When I did hear from Gary, he said Lea doesn't make that style of bed in natural...light wood. How does a salesman...manager not know what he is selling? When I called Gina again, she said there was nothing else she could do. Neither of them offered an apology....they said my wife and I can piuck out another bed and they'll have to me in 3 weeks. Like I trust these 2.
Now my wife is due with oue 2nd child and my daughter is sleeping in the wrong color bed, which we told them we are keeping until we find the bed we really want....then they can take it back.
Ira of Belle Mead NJ (06/22/08)
Our experience with Crib & Teen City was terrible. On 3/24/08 we purchased a Stanley bedroom set for our daughter. The salesperson we dealt with was knowledgeable and courteous. We paid over $4,000 for the set and left the store feeling good about our purchase. It was downhill from there.
After sleeping on it we wanted to change our color selection and called the store within 24 hours. The salesperson told us there was still time and the order had not been processed yet. He took down our new color choice. When the furniture arrived it was pouring rain, and the truck backed up close to our house to avoid the rain and use the garage to unload the furniture. When they unboxed the first piece we noticed that they had delivered the original color, the wrong color. The delivery people put the furniture back on the truck and left.
The next day we saw what we had missed when it was pouring the day before. When they backed the truck up they had backed it up too far and the top of the truck dented our rain gutters over the garage. So we called the store to tell them about the dent and see when the correct color furniture would come in. Rude is not the word to describe their reaction.
They first tried to blame us for the color mixup, even though their salesperson had written the right color but had neglected to change the color code on the order (we have the proof on the receipt). When we told them about the dent over the garage, they told us it was not their problem and to contact the delivery person.
After repeated phone calls back and forth with the store and the corporate office, we finally received the correct furniture on June 19. After the furniture was in the house and set up, we talked to the delivery person about the damage they had done when making the first attempted delivery. He did not deny making the damage, and said he would have the corporate office call us.
On June 20 we got a call back from the delivery person, Darwin, who told us that the owner had told him to handle the problem on his own with us, and to pay us out of his own pocket. We could not believe that the company had put this poor delivery man between us and the company. The company should have handled this through their insurance. I then received a call from the corporate office to tell me I would have to deal with Darwin (why they didn't know Darwin had already called me I'm not sure).
I asked to speak with the owner, and was put on the phone with a man I believe was the owner, Ed. I'm not sure because he a) never introduced himself and b) was incredibly rude. I had trouble getting a word in as he went on and on about how his delivery people were stupid for damaging my house and how he was not liable for the damages. He must have used the phrase not liable a half dozen times. I told him I was not concerned with legal action -- all I wanted was a sincere apology and for the company to handle this directly with me. I also told him I thought that having the delivery person deal with me directly and tell me that any damages would come out of his pocket personally was a cowardly act on the owners part.
Bottom line is we rue the day we walked into Crib & Teen City. They are sloppy, rude and do not care AT ALL about their customers. After reading all these posts from people who have been ripped off by them, we consider ourselves lucky that our out of pocket costs and frustration was not worse. At least we have the furniture in one piece.
Martin of East Brunswick NJ (11/27/07)
We ordered a rocker for my pregnant wife, and Gary told me it would come in 6-8 weeks--8 weeks tops. We are over 12 weeks now, and on the contract it says after 12 we don't have to pay. They are making us pay. I put down $350, and they won't give it back. My son is about 1 month, and the rocker was for feeding and comforting him but we no longer need it. This is not their first complaint on their bad delivery record. Thanks.
Victoria of Parlin NJ (10/31/07)
I purchased a teen bedroom set from Crib & Teen City on July 5, 2007 from salesman Tito. I was told it would be delivered in four weeks. This order is paid in full. Actual delivery was 9/11/07. The desk came broken. The delivery men took it back, but left a desk chair with a broken leg and hutch not assembled on our front porch, still in a box. The day of delivery I spoke with the owner who started yelling at me saying that I should have expected delays because of 9/11/01! How disgusting is this person, trying to use the deaths of so many back in 2001 to explain away his incompetence. Now 10/31/07, I have been trying to reach Shelley and\or Gina in the customer service department for about two weeks, and still no return calls.
I don't want any of this furniture. It is not what is in the showroom...it is JUNK! BUYER BEWARE.
Stacey of Monroeville NJ (01/30/07)
On December 14, 2006 I went into Crib & Teen city in Marlton NJ and dealt with salesperson/Manager Bruce. I found a set that I liked that was marked and advertised. The crib that I liked was marked $299.00 and the combo dresser was marked $549.00 but Bruce told me that it was on special for $499.00. I returned on December 16, 2006 with my husband and decided to purchase the furniture. We negotiated a price of $279.90 for the crib (this was after he double checked the price in the price book to see if he had room to drop the price) and $479.90 for the combo dresser. We left a $100.00 deposit and set up a date of January 31, 2007 for delivery (it took at least four weeks for delivery).
On January 30, 2007 I went back in the store to pay off my balance with salesperson Leann and was given a reciept marked paid in full. While there salesperson Tim took me to the furniture I purchased to measure it. It was still marked $299.00 for the crib and $549.00 for the combo dresser. At 4:00 that evening Leann called me to inform me that the corporate office had called her and told her that they would not deliver my furniture because there was a mistake in the pricing. I informed her that it was marked that way in the store and she confirmed that with me but advised me that that was also a mistake. After speaking with corporate I was told that the furniture would not be delivered unless I paid an extra $200.00 or I could have my money refunded. If a mistake was truly made (which I find hard to believe because it was advertised in the store at that price for at least seven weeks) My price should be honored. My reciept should act as a binding contract.
I can not order this furniture from another company because it takes at least four weeks to come in (I am due in four weeks)
Linda of Westfield NJ (01/20/07)
Upon entering Crib & Teen City, there were multiple large signs indicating the infant dressers I was purchasing had No Particle Board. Upon purchasing, and receiving the crib and 2 dressers, the I discovered at my home that the 2 dressers entire backing, and bottom of drawers were made of particle board. When I immediately called our salesperson John, he said well, just the back is made of particle board. I asked isn't the back part of the dresser, and why do you falsely advertise the furniture is particle board free. His response was yeah, the back is part of the dresser, but you don't see that part of it.
When the furniture was delivered, there were two very large, gaping holes broken through the particle board, that the delivery people tried to hide it by quickly pushing the furniture up against the wall. I know they saw the damage and decided to attempt to deceive me because they drilled the changing pad to the back of the same dresser, and definitely saw the damage. I noticed it when I sat down while they were assembling the crib, and I saw light shining through the front of the furniture. I had the delivery people put the dresser in front of the window. Had I not requested the dresser be placed in front of the window, I would have not noticed it right away.
I called our salesperson John while the delivery people were still there, and he said :how do I know you didn't damage it. Given that I had the furniture for 11 minutes, and the delivery people were still there, It was doubtful I made the damage. Customer service was very difficult to reach. I left 12 messages with the corporate office before I finally got a call back. No calls were ever answered. My only option was to leave multiple messages. I decided to return all of the furniture. It was not what I was told (particle board free), and I had no confidence in the company, should I have a problem in the future with the furniture.
My baby is due in 3 weeks, leaving us very little time to do our research, find a reputable company, purchase new baby furniture, and have it delivered to our home. They have left us in a very difficult situation. Maybe they were counting on our time constraint, and hoping to cash in on it. We were lied to about the quality of the furniture, the delivery people attempted to deceive us, and customer service treated us horribly since they already had our money.
Helena of White Plains NY (12/05/06)
I provided $100 deposit and was given a scheduled delivery date of Dec 19th. Two days later, I received a call from a salesperson indicating that they no longer want to honor the pricing/contract and in fact, charge an extra $100. To my disappointment, I asked to speak to the General Mgr (Walter Gosh) who was very unprofessional. Instead of trying to understand the situation, he immediately placed blame and insinuated that I did not allow his employees to check the price before signing the contract. I was appalled by his remarks and asked to speak to the owner of the company to discuss the matter. He assured me that they could follow-up with an answer within 12 hours. I did not receive a call until 48 hours later. Only to find out that Walter and the owner will not honor the contract and the best they could do was take $50 off from the price.
Julie of Chatham NJ (10/23/06)
My husband and I ordered baby furniture and everything was satisfactory until it came to delivery. I took a vacation day to be home for the delivery. I called to make sure we were on the schedule. When I reached Jessica at the Paterson location (I used the prompts to connect to delivery), she was surprised that I was on the schedule and indicated that I was not. She promised to call me right back to confirm that I was getting the delivery as promised on 10/20/06, but never called me back. Since Jessica never called back, I followed-up with 3 additional messages to her in addition to the first I left where she never called me back; I was only lucky to catch her the one time because I called repeatedly. Then I called the Pine Brook store. Although a woman helped me, she couldn't get a hold of the driver or confirm I was on the schedule because we were suppopse to deal with Paterson.
I had no confidence that we were getting the delivery and at that point, I was so disgusted with their customer service. My main concern was knowing that they were coming on the scheduled date but I couldn't even get confirmation on that. When finally the Pine Brook store got a hold of the driver in the afternoon, she couldn't give me an idea as to when they would show up. The receipt indicates by 4pm. My desire now was to get a refund. That is a decision made only by Ed Kloss, the owner. He said that we would need to pay a $200 restocking fee and refused to give us a full refund. He has no business manner and no appreciation for customer service. He would not let me speak and would only reiterate (incorrectly) his delivery policy and make analogies to pizza deliveries and getting speeding tickets on Route 80 (not sure why).
My recommendation to anyone purchasing baby furniture is to NOT use this retailer. If your desire is to be treated poorly and with true disrespect, then go ahead and go there.
Jay of Columbus NJ (06/21/06)
I have read through many complaints about Crib & Teen City on this site and noticed that the company responded suggesting that these complaints are phoney. Here is a case that I am currently trying to get resolved. I placed order for two sets of teen bedroom sets on 03/26/2006 and made the mistake of paying for them in full. The estimated delivery date for both sets was 8 weeks and to their credit they did deliver one Stanley set in late May (acceptable even though technically they went past the estimated date). I am still waiting for the second set and this is where this company's customer policy shows its problems: 1. To get the first set delivered we had to call several times with no response from what appears to be a sole employee that deals with sales, customer service (including order status), etc., When this employee finally responded she claimed they did not understand the messages to call back promptly. 2. Couple of weeks go by and I call for the status on the second set. Having made several phone calls, I now know they deliberately do not respond to the extension that corrsponds to customer service. So I try and hit sales (because that usually gets attention) and sure enough the call is transfered to the same individual! 3. The initial tendency on this employee's part was to dismiss the call as quickly as possible stating that the furniture is not in. When I insisted on getting the phone number of the manufacturer who may have the accurate status, the employee puts me on hold for several minutes and comes back stating that only the bed is not in and it should be in within a week and a half. I requested the employee call me back at the end of the 1 1/2 week period and let me know the status. 4. It is now well past 2 weeks and there is NO phone call from this company. I called the office and tried both customer service and sales. The employee is out today and I have left a voice mail requesting a return call tomorrow. Let's see how they respond now. While I do understand that there can be delay in the overall supply chain starting with the manufacturer, what is not acceptable is lack of prompt customer service. Clearly, the company officials are not bothered about it since they dismiss all the complaints on this website. They most certainly are not going to get my future business. I have bought from them 4 years ago and I don't think the situation was the same.
I am now approaching three months from the original date of completely paid order.
John of Cranbury NJ (05/12/06)
I've been having problems with this company, yes CRIB & TEEN CITY, that are too numerous to mention. What it boils down to is that there is ABSOLUTLEY no follow through whatsoever when you have a customer service issue, as described in earlier posts. I'd also like to address the response from the President of CRIB & TEEN CITY recently. Contrary to your belief, I am confident that people are not confusing company names (see CRIB & TEEN CITY Responds) if they've had the same unpleasant experiences that I've had. Mr. Kloss, for starters, I would encourage you to contact your Springfield NJ store today - May 12th -and inquire as to the problems with a Costello customer that have yet to be resolved after 2 months.
Cynthia of Marlboro NJ (11/02/05)
I ordered a crib and dresser combo on August 5th 2005. I was due in December. When I placed the order I was told that both items were in stock and that they would set up delivery in 8 weeks. 8 weeks rolled around, and no one called so I called to find out that my dresser was now "discontinued". This story held true for 2 days. I then kept calling to find out what would happen.
Second story was that it was not discontinued, but out of stock. it was on order, but the company that makes it only ships when they have a full truck. I was told that it was being shipped from the company on October 25 and to call to set up delivery on Nov 1st. When I called November 1st I was told that the dresser did not come in and that it would be another 2 weeks.
Now, 4 weeks prior I was offered a floor sample. This would be okay, however I would not be offered a discount because if I bought a floor sample it would null and void the combo deal I had originally agreed to. So instead of $1199 for the crib, dresser, mattress and changing pad, I would have to pay the full price of the crib, plus the mattress, changing pad and the oh so discounted ($100 to $200) dresser. saving me about $1.00.
So at this point I would have to wait 2 more weeks. After calling numerous times I was told that I could have my crib delivered, but I would have to pay the full price of the crib and delivery. (keep in mind I have already left a $500 deposit) so at this point I lost it and decided that I am going to cancel my order.
I asked if that was a possibilty and was told yes twice. When I call to do so, I all of a sudden need an authorization to get my money back. Then I get a second phone call saying "do you just want to wait until the next day beacuse it might be on the truck?" Are these people kidding me, what truck? When did this truck appear.
Turns out that on Oct 25 a truck did leave Utah, did arrive in New Jersey and was sitting there. They needed to unpack it and are not sure if my dresser is on it. Now that cannot be possible and why did no one mention this truck all day? So now i sit here waiting for a phone call that I know will never come letting me know if I can cancel or if my dresser is in fact somewhere in the state.
I wish i had read all these other complaints before I went there. The company has responded by saying the complaints are old. Not mine.
Michael of Norristown PA (08/24/05)
I bought a Cannalli 4 in 1 crib (Claudia model to be exact). This crib was supposed to convert from a crib to a toddler bed (2) to a daybed (3) and then to a full size bed (4) get it 4 in 1 . When my daughter was old enough to get out of the crib, I had no directions. I called the store and they told me to take the front gate off. This left close to 18 inches from the top of the mattress to the floor.
I asked where the bed rails were and they told me there were none. They told me to take off the wheels. OK, so I did and that took the 18 inches to about 16 inches. Still high enough for my daughter to be injured if she fell out while sleeping.
I asked what the difference was between the toddler bed (2) and daybed (3) and they told me it was the same thing? So how is this a 4 in 1. Why does the crib come with no directions? Why did they tell me to buy the 4 in 1 instead of the 3 in 1?
Now after spending a considerable amount of money on this bedroom set that my daughter cannot use, I either have to buy an ugly bed rail (which by the way I cannot use unless I put plywood between the mattress spring and the matress) or I have to go out and do it right and spend more money on a toddler bed. Where is the value here?
Rita of Jersey City NJ (08/09/05)
We ordered our baby furniture on April 15, 2005; the store set a delivery date of 12 weeks. It is now 18 weeks later and we still don't have it. Every week we are promised that it will arrive one or two weeks later, and we still have no furniture. Our baby is due this week and this is the last thing new parents need.
Our alternative is to cancel this order and shop at another store, but that will take another 12 weeks. Or we could keep waiting indefinitely in hope they might one day deliver? Not sure what to do at this point.
Catherine of Teaneck NJ (07/17/05)
I bought a Stanley Starlight bed for my five-year-old daughter on June 14, 2005, including twin captain's bed, drawer dresser, twin mattress and etc for a total cost of $1752.84. I put a deposit of $852.84. I asked the salesperson if it was possible to deliver the items in four weeks, she says OK, she will put in writing. (She wrote "RUSH" om my receipt and promised me that I will have the items in four weeks.
On July 13, 2005 I called the salesperson to check if they will be making the delivery, she told me NO, there was a problem with my order, but they promised to deliver it on July 16, 2005. It was a little later than what we have agreed upon. Also I was planning to travel to Europe on July 17, 2005 to join my husbad there. When the delivery arrived on July 16, 2005, some of the items were broken, the delivery people suggested that I should take whatever is good but they will bring the other items on a later date.
I said NO, so they took whatever they have brought to me and left. After that I decided to go to Crib & Teen City to speak to my salesperson, who was unable to help me at all. When the manger of the store came to speak to me he said that some of the items were left at mu house, which was not true.
After a 15-minute discussion and arguing that I wanted a refund, he called the police. The officer who came asked me to leave the store. They were very rude, they threatened me with everything, arrest, take my daughter to DFYS, disordely conduct, they followed me for 10 minutes when I was leaving the store.
Tricia of Edison NJ (06/13/05)
I dealt with this store several years ago, before my daughter was born. At the time I was ordering a whole bedroom set for my older son and a new crib for my daughter. And on this occasion in 2001, it was nothing short of a nightmare. It took six MONTHS for the furniture to come in (as opposed to the 6-8 WEEKS we were promised) With great caution we went back to the store in March 2005 and based on what we were told - we agreed to buy another bed from them.
I will NEVER shop at this store again... Again we were promised the furniture in 6-8 weeks - after 8 weeks and no news from the store, we contacted them. At this time they misled us again, stating that they had called and spoken to me and told me all about a "mishap" with the original order. NO ONE ever called me. Then, when speaking with someone in the warehouse I was told that the furniture was already picked up and the only thing they had left was the headboard!
Ok, since I never picked up the furniture, who did? OH, no - it wasn't picked up the order was placed incorrectly originally - and only the headboard was ordered....when they realized the mistake, the rest of the bed was ordered - a month after the original purchase date - and no phone calls from anyone to tell us what happened.
Now, we are promised a discount on the furniture and that it will be in, in 2-3 more weeks. 3 weeks goes by - still no phone calls - we call the store again. Now, after we've talked to Gary, our salesperson - who's supposed to be the manager of the store; and Alex, who took our calls because Gary wasn't in, and oh by the way - he's supposed to be the manager of the store too - and now we are dealing with SAM - who is also the manager of the store....he swears that the furniture is on it's way - it will be in the warehouse the following week - and he will make sure that the furniture is in the store the next week for pick up.
The following week we get a call from the warehouse - they want to arrange for the pick up of the headboard. What about the rest of the bed. Oh yeah, they do have that too - but the truck is full - they can't ship to the store for at least another week and a 1/2. Ok - now I'm waiting 14 weeks and I still don't have a bed - but we call Sam again and he's going to the warehouse the next day - he will make sure that the bed is on the truck - or he will bring it back himself.
Had we been told originally that the furniture would take 12 weeks to arrive - none of this would have been an issue. Had the company contacted us to admit their mistake - none of this would have been an issue. How do you wait 8 weeks for furniture and then cancel your order - when you need the furniture - and going somewhere else would mean you'd have to wait another 8-12 weeks? The company makes you pay in full up front - so there is absolutely no leverage - you're stuck - unless you can afford to wait another couple months.
As for the company's response - about the entries being old - well guess what - if they weren't TRUE, maybe they would be removed - but since the company has NOT in any way shape or form cleaned up their act - why should the old entries be removed? If the company made some effort to improve their service, then I could see the entries being removed. It's unfortunate that more people don't have access to this information and because of this people continue to shop with this company - and continue to be lied to and receive horrendous service. I am writing here to hopefully get the company to improve on their service - but until they do - I think people should NOT shop with them.
I for one will NEVER shop with them again - and I will be sure to tell everyone I know - in every way that I know - NOT to shop with them.
Robin of Succasunna NJ (03/29/05)
My mother and I saw a crib set which looked exactly like the set we saw at Bellini for $1,000 less. Needless to say, you get what you pay for- or don't in this case! We gave our $100.00 deposit and were told someone would be calling within 6 - 10 weeks to schedule delivery. My child was born and suddenly I realized the 10 week promisory date had come and gone and they were 2 weeks overdue in calling me. I called the store and waited almost 2 hours for a call back because they had to look up my order number (they're not computerized in 2005)!
They then proceeded to give me the number to the warehouse/delivery center and basically left me on my own. I called the distribution center and was told the furniture had been there all along and delivery was set up for the following week. Surprise, surprise- the day before the scheduled delivery they called to tell me a piece of the set was missing. I asked to have the remaining pieced delivered and they agreed, only to call back several hours later to tell me the furniture was in the wrong color. Since my daughter was still in a bassinett I figured the world wouldn't come to a screeching halt and I agreed to wait the 10 - 14 days for the ammended order.
2 weeks later I called and left messages for 4 days before anyone called me back! They proceeded to tell me that the furniture wasn't in and that they would get back to me within 24 hours. For the next 2 weeks I called daily and not once did a live person pick up! Not once were my messages returned. Finally, they called to set up delivery (now 8 weeks late). When I told them how unhappy I was they didn't even apologize or offer to discount the purchase for my inconvenience. (By the way, my daughter had been sleeping in a bassinett in our room, however, her makeshift changing table and dresser were in the living room!)
I finally told them I'd rather forefit my deposit than have any further dealings with them and immediately they took off the 95.00 delivery & assembly charge. I was still tempted to cancel my order, however, I wanted furniture in my daughters room asap and I set a delivery date.
At last, the truck arrived at 4:30 (I was told betewwn 8 and 4) and after repeated requests the delivery men still couldn't wipe their feet on the 3 mats I set up (it was pouring rain outside). They also took the furniture out of the empty truck to cut the boxes in the dirveway (in the rain) and brought wet furniture into my home which I had to wipe down!!! And since it was so dark I failed to realize that the antique white furniture I had ordered was delivered in vanilla!!! It absolutely looks awful against my wall color and I can't imagine what they'll have to say, if anyone ever calls me back! Save your sanity and spend a bit extra for Bellini. Next time I will.
Jeneane of Brick NJ (03/25/05)
I purchased over $3000 worth of furniture for my new baby. When they delivered it April 12, 2004 the delivery man broke the dresser door. He told me to take the broken draw to the store - which was over an hour away - and ask them to give me the display door so I wouldn't have to wait. By the way the tall armoire I bought it also slanted - but I didn't realize that till it was too late. Anyway - like a moron I did what he said only to find out that the show room door can not be used because they are drilled for the specific dresser they are mounted to.
I called their "customer service" to complain and they said they would have the delivery dept. call me to schedule the delivery of a new door. They never called me. I called this Debbie person about 4 times before I actually got her on the phone. She scheduled me. The man came and fixed the door. My son was due in July of 2004. In June of 2004 I noticed there were paint chips on the floor all around his crib. I have the white Claudia model. In a panic I called the East Brunswick location where I purchased the set. They told me they couldn't help me I had to call the customer service dept. Again, I contacted them but of course no one returned my call.
After a few days of leaving messages in all but tears I finally got another human being again - it was Debbie - who I thought they said only handled Delivery. Anyway I told her my problem and she said she would call me back with a time they can come to repair it. I told her I don't see how they could repair paint chipping off and that I wanted a new crib. She said OK they would send me a new crib.
When the delivery guy came he looked at the paint chip areas and said all he had to do was replace the two sides - that's where the paint was coming from - every time I slide the bar the paint would chip off. He said this was common and not a big deal. I said it’s not a big deal to him but when my child is crawling around eating the paint chips it would be a huge deal for me. I asked about the new crib he said no - it didn't warrant one. When I told him about being told I would get a new one he said: they just tell a person that because I come with a whole new crib but if I can repair pieces of it they would rather I do that". While he was there I showed him my lopsided armoire, he told me it was the floor.
I also showed him how he didn't screw the changing pad onto the changing dresser and he said it was OK the way it was - it was sturdy.
Anyway fast forward to March of 2005. My son is 8 months old and the crib set not even a year old yet. I drop the mattress down to the lowest rung. The slide bar is now stuck in the up position and the paint chips have mysteriously returned. I cannot put my own son to bed at night without half dropping him in the crib. Thank God my husband is 6 ft. 2 so he can do it for me - every night. I can only reach my son if he is sitting up- if I reach in to grab him I almost fall in!
I called the store again and was told to call "customer service". I called and left a message. They did not return the call - big surprise. I called them three times before I happened upon a human being who actually answered. This time Debbie decides that she really only handles delivery and forwards me to Shelly - who is probably the worse person I have ever dealt with in my life. I told Shelly - as I had said in my three messages - that it is a safety issue for both the paint chips and the bar not going down. She asked me for my receipt number and for the last time they were at my house doing repairs. I told her I had to find the receipt and that I couldn't recall the last time they were t the house exactly - they were there so often. She said she had to thumb through a couple thousand receipts and she would get back to me. I found mine so I called her back and gave her the invoice number. She said she would get all the info and call me back.
More than 48 hours later I again call her. She said Oh yeah I was going to call you to tell you I can't find your receipt. I told her I gave her the number she said it doesn't help because they file them by the last time they were at the house. I said you are kidding me right? I have to do your tracking for you? She said no, you just have to know when we were there. If I don't know the exact day of when they were there she couldn't help me. I said you do understand this is a severe safety issue right? She said not her problem!
I told her I would have to get Lawyers involved she said don't threaten me - I said I am not I am warning you that this is what will happen. She said - and I quote: “Look this is not my problem - it is yours, if you feel the need to get lawyers involved than so be it". I said you are kidding me with this attitude right? Give me a supervisor. After leaving me on hold for exactly 4 and half minutes I got a message for Gina – her message says she is either away from her desk or on another call but she will call you back before 5 pm. I left Gina a message and asked her to please call me back it was a safety issue concerning a crib - she has yet to call me. I have since contacted a lawyer.
Anna of Tuckahoe NY (11/09/04)
My husband and I ordered furniture about 2 months ago. We set up a delivery date for Nov. 2. Well come that day the drivers arrive and proceed to tell us we have everything but the crib! DUH!!!! I refused to pay for undelivered furniture. Well, not only were my husband and I inconvenienced form taking a day off of work but my husband then had to go back to the bank to get another certified check for 4 out of the 5 pieces which we decided we would keep.
Mind you we never received a phone call from anyone regarding the missing crib. Jessica tells us we will have a delivery for Friday. Then we get a phone call back saying they cant. I said what do you do for your customers, she said she cant do a thing. Nice right! Customers obviously come last! Well after arguing with her and then contacting the Scarsdale store where we made our purchase (RUDE PEOPLE), we managed to get the delivery fee waved, Woopie doo, after we paid over $3000. dollars! No discount!
Well it gets better. We set up a new delivery date for Nov. 9 and they come but PROBLEM (Whata Surprise) the crib was damaged! By the way did I mention that I am a week away from my due date! So you can imagine how I am feeling! So now we talk to Gina agin (manager) who could care less! Now she tells me Friday. Meanwhile they dont deliver to New York Friday but she said they will! Let me not hold my breath! Another day without out pay from work, and then theres there "Great Time Frame" 8-6.
Lauren of Hackensack NJ (2/20/04):
The prices at Crib & Teen City (159 Route 4 West) in Paramus, NJ, are reasonable but it ends there. The service that I received after purchasing was absolutely shocking and disappointing. I ordered my crib and 2 additional pieces and waited the 6-8 weeks for delivery. I was contacted by Crib City to set up delivery of the whole set. I first had to deal with the fact that they only will deliver mon-fri 8-4 and can not even give you a clue as to whether it will be morning or afternoon delivery. So, ok, either I have to take a whole day off work or have somebody else wait in my home.
I make the date and come home excited to see my new furniture and there is no crib. The deliverymen told my mother it would come next week and then proceded to leave the boxes on the front lawn of my condo complex after explicitly giving them direction not to. Why didn't anyone call and tell me that the crib was not coming? The crib is what I really need since I had my son already. If they would have told me this, I could have scheduled delivery for the following week and my mother wouldn't have to now take another day off work next week to sit in my home and wait for a delivery!
Anyway I call Crib City and it turns out it will not be a week but probably 3 weeks! Well, I wait 3 weeks and still no crib. I call and now they tell me I might want to pick another crib because it could be another 4 weeks! Mind you, that no one from the store is calling me to update me. I have to keep on calling to follow up.
Finally, I pick another crib that they have in stock and try to set up delivery. I would think they might want to accommodate a customer who has been extremely dissatisfied but instead I can not get the delivery date I want nor can they accommodate me when I ask if they can please have me first on the delivery list so my mother will not have to take the whole day off. Nope, can't do it!
Unfortunately, 3 months later I realize I should have ordered the bookshelf to the set. I am now forced to go back there and order it because it is part of the set. This is killing me because I don't want to give them any business but I do it. So I wait 8 weeks and it finally comes in and I set up the delivery date. Once again, my mother will take off work and spend the whole day waiting for them. The day before delivery my mother becomes very ill and will not be able to wait for them so I call to reschedule. Guess what ... it's too late. The furniture is already on the truck and if you have to reschedule, there will be a $80.00 fee!
Can they take the furniture off the truck? No. I am told they will still try to deliver it even though I am calling and telling them I will not be there. Is there any communication between the delivery dept and store? It has just been one hassle after another and when you are pregnant or have a small infant, this is the last thing you need. I would have been better off spending more money at Bellini. They know how to treat their customers.
Julie of Scarsdale NY (1/23/04):
Purchased a Canalli (Jennifer model) crib in August. It was delivered in October, and by December, before I had even used the crib, the bottom drawer was broken. The Crib & Teen Coty store where I purchased the crib in Scarsdale, NY, refers all customer service issues to the warehouse in NJ. I have left 5 messages for the customer service dept. and I have yet to hear back. The woman on the voicemail identifies herself as Debbie. I am unable to reach anyone else, and there is no company info posted on their website, making it impossible to write to the president, pr dept, etc.
I am afraid that I will never hear back and that I will be stuck with a defective $400 crib.
Todd of Hopelawn NJ (9/17/03):
We purchased baby furniture from their East Brunswick, NJ store for our first child due in September of 2003. We liked the product and the sales person. We were assured that if there were problems with the furniture that we could exchange it. When we got the delivery there were several problems with three of the units. We called the home office the day of delivery and were told they would order new stuff. After calling a couple of times we were told the new set would be in soon.
On the day it was supposed to arrive we got a call from Ed Kloss the owner. He was rude and told my wife we would not be getting an exchange, that the manufacturer had refused. He then proceeded to call us names and said to return the furnitue because we would never be satisfied. My wife loved the set and wanted to do what we could to keep it. I finally had to consult a lawyer who said to return the stuff.
After spoeaking with Ed he tried to get us to keep the stuff by offering a discount, after I called and said we were being discriminated against and that the driver noted on our sales slip that the furniture waz damaged. I told him I wanted to return everything. He finally agreed. We retured the furniture for a full refund. Our baby came three weeks early and has no furniture thanks to Eddie Kloss.
Joy of Flanders NJ (7/21/03):
My husband and I bought a crib & dresser for our daughter on 5/4/03 at Crib & Teen City in Paramus. When it was delivered (7/14/03), the door on the dresser was a Pecan finish instead of natural, as the rest of the furniture. Our daughter also purchaseed the armoire, rocking chair and ottoman to match. After calling the owner of the store in Ledgewood, our daughter was finally able to convince him, after much arguing, that a new door needed to be ordered. This was after much frustratin and him doubting her ability to determine this was a stained door and NOT natural. She was still not sure he was ordering a new door at this point.
My husband made a few calls and got a Vice President, Walter Joshi, who again, tried to convince my daughter that she probably could not tell that it was just the grain of the wood and not a stain issue. He was basically trying to sell her on this instead of taking care of the problem whether she was right or wrong - she and we are the customers and were not satisfied and he wasn't doing much to change that. I got on the phone and explained I was very familiar with wood and stain, having stained wood and sold furniture - as well as my daughter having stained and finished her own furniture. I got him to divulge that they do not make the furniture, they buy from a furniture maker. I asked how the natural sets were made and he said it was natural wood with a clear finish - as I expected.
I asked what the next color of furniture would be in this brand, he said "pecan". I stated we evidently have a pecan door on a natural dresser. He said he cold not attest to that, not having seen it. In my mind, he should have been focused on taking care of his customers. When our daughter asked what would happen if she received the same "stained" door in 12 weeks, he basically said they would do nothing else. The customer service with this particular store and company has been atrocious!
When my husband and I went to the store to pay for the crib & dresser, we waited a ridiculous 20 minutes for the owner to sift through receipts, nothing being in a computer to make it easy to find a customer. We called our daughter to see if she had her copy, and he finally found the store copy. And then to wait 10 weeks to get the furniture, have a stained door on a natural dresser, and also a snap missing on the chair where the cushioned arm rests snap into.
We are very dissatisfied and would NOT recommend anyone buying anything from this company. They expect cashier's checks, personal checks, or money orders, probably so you CAN'T stop payment.
Joseph of Stanhope NJ (2/2/03):
We purchased @2,681.12 worth of baby furniture at Crib & Teen City in Ledgewood, NJ. The sales person proudly represented that included in the purchase price was prompt and professional assembly, set-up and delivery. The furniture was paid in full on Jan. 14, 2003 and a guaranteed delivery date was scheduled for Jan. 27, 2003. On January 27, 2003, the deliverymen arrived at our home minus the glider/rocker chair. They then incorrectly and haphazardly assembled the remaining furniture.
Unknown to my eight-months-pregnant wife, they left five huge cardboard boxes in the middle of my driveway to blow around and for me to cut up and dispose of at 8 p.m.
We called the Ledgewood office and spoke directly to our sales person, Bill, regarding the non-delivery of goods and the non-performance of services paid and contracted for. He would not help at all. He was extremely belligerent and rude and just told us to contact the central office.
We called back to the Ledgewood store approximately four more times. The glider/rocker cost $469.90 + $28.19 salex tax and $40 set-up and delivery, for a total disputed amount of $538.09. We would also note that the other furniture was no assembled correctly. We acted in good faith and they would not even return a phone call.
Cheryl of Lake Hopatcong NJ (10/7/02):
Back in February I purchased an entire bedroom set at Teen & Crib City for my 12-year-old son's room. We just got a new home and he never had a decent set. After leaving my deposit they told me that the furniture would be ready in 6 to 8 weeks. I told them that the house might not be ready by then and could they hold back the delivery for me. They said when they call to arrange delivery, I can tell them then and it should not be a problem.
Well, I did not have to worry about that because the first week in May I made several phone calls wondering why I never heard from them. Finally, after approximately 30 calls they made delivery in July. They delivered the furniture which was to include set up but just left it all in the middle of the floor of the room. I was not there for the delivery as I had to work. When I got home I noticed that the hutch that was to go over my son's desk was not the piece I ordered. I contacted them immediately and it was the first time I got a live person on the line and they told me they would replace it in a couple of days. Well, weeks went by with no phone call or delivery.
I tried again to no avail to contact the Paterson location, if you don't have an extension the message will tell you that they pick up their calls every 15 days. I finally contacted the store where I made the purchase in Ledgewood, NJ and he sent over a fax with the problem and made a call. They told me it would be a few weeks. The company called me on September 17th and told me they would make delivery on the week of the 23rd.
The delivery arrived on Tuesday, October 1st. As the gentlemen took the piece of furniture off the truck and unwrapped it I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the same exact piece of furniture that I already had and was trying to get rid of, delivered again. I made them take it back and the driver gave me a number to call. She told me I had the wrong item number and I told her this was all checked out and resolved that I had the right item number. She said she will look into it and call me back. No return phone call and now I cannot reach anyone there again.
I called the store and he told me he would call them. He called me back and said the company will be calling me that afternoon ... no phone call. I called several times and nothing. I spoke to the store again and he told me he would have someone call me back, again nothing. I sent them several emails expressing my thoughts on how poor their customer service is. I have also told them in my emails that I would be contacting the troubleshooter's news team. I just don't know what to do anymore. I want my piece of furniture that I paid for, but who needs this aggravation.
The funny part is, I received their flyer in the mail this weekend and the picture of the piece I have been waiting for is there with the bedroom grouping.
Domenic of Perth Amboy NJ (8/21/02):
On July 26, 2002 I placed on order for an armoire and changing table/dresser for my niece. I was told this was quality furniture and quoted the "Canalli" name the merchandise in the showroom seemed to be of good quality and I noticed the products had the company's name imprinted in the drawers. On August 9 they delivered the merchandise which was not only damaged but the changing table smelled as though it was either used or was kept in a damp place -- the paint was chipping and the drawers were cracked etc. My brother had to remove the changing table from the baby's room because the smell overcame the room.
Upon delivery my sister in law called the delivery dept and requested to speak to a manager. Upon speaking to the manager not only was she rude but unresponsive to the issue at hand. After several calls finally another delivery was scheduled. On August 14 a second delivery was received and again the furniture was damaged...the armoire base was a flat finish and the drawers are a gloss finish. While the driver was there my sister in law again called Lori and she made the statement "nothing is perfect" and she claimed the furniture was inspected before delivery which was NOT true because my brother and sister in law personally saw the drivers open the box.
Lori then requested to speak to the delivery driver and when my sister in law insisted that the delivery drivers take both sets back they refused and told her "they had no room in the truck for both sets" Lori never spoke to my sister in law after speaking to the driver and the driver only told my sister in law that they would contact her for another delivery. As of this date August 21, 2002 we have yet to receive a call.
The furniture that we have in our possession does NOT have the manufacturers trademark on it and the armoire as I previously stated looks mismatched. The driver even remarked that the changing table that they first delivered smelled as though it was used.
My sister in law has serious high blood pressure problems and was toxemic which resulted in my niece being born premature. The last thing she needed was stress over furniture.
Adam of Pompton Plains NJ (2/23/00):
I am not a big fan of Crib & Teen City. I had a crib delivered and assembled for my infant in August, and when I adjusted the crib height 6 months later, I found that a bolt attaching the back rail to one of the posts was not held in by anything, and was just sitting in an unthreaded hole in the post. What is most disturbing is that the men who assembled it just left it that way, and didn't bring it to my attention. When I called Michelle at customer service, she didn't seem overly concerned about the safety issue and would only point me to the manufacturer.
The company responds:
The messages you have added to the board about Crib & Teen City are
mostly old messages. Our policy is simple -- if we exchange merchandise for a
customer more than 3 times and they are still not happy we give them a full
refund. All of the terms and conditions of the sale or on our receipt and posted in
the store. Our deliveries are Mon Thru Fri from 8:00 to 4:00 which are told
to the consumers before we take their money. The receipt says we leave the
cardboard at the curb all cut up in a neat pile for garbage pickup.
As far as people waiting a long time for certain items this information is
correct. When something comes from overseas and you have problems with labor
strikes at the ports we do get delays. This is impossible to control -- for
this is the reason we stamp all the customers receipts with after 12 weeks we
cannot get their items we offer a full them a full refund.
Crib & Teen City is the largest independent retailer in the country who
specialize in juvenile and teenage furniture.
I hope you can remove some of those older post.
Please advise,
Steve Lake
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