Adam’s mother has been trying for 16 months to get Stainsafe to honor its warranty for her ripped couch. SIXTEEN MONTHS. She’s documented the series in a time-line of ineptitude. She definitely deserves the warranty repair, but then some part of us is like, ductape?

We would never want to be the ones to dissuade someone from pursuing a rightful consumer complaint, but after a certain point you have to figure out what your hourly “wage” is (whether or not you have a job) and compare it to the expected outcome value. If the former exceeds the latter, an economist would tell you it’s time to move on. Or, cut to the chase and haul them into small claims court.

That said, Adam’s mother’s story inside is pretty crazy in terms of how utterly incompetent these warranty jokers are. Either that, or they’re entirely competent, in terms of avoiding doing any actual repair work.

i Consumerist! The story below is from my Mother, I helped her type it up (and prodded her to get all the information together so we could send this) I really am hoping that you can help out, i’ve personally tried every avenue even calling Macys corporate and playing the “I know that it’s Stainsafe’s (the warranty company) responsibility but do you really want a company like this representing you. I am literally at my wits end (as is my Mother) with trying to get this fixed. It’s become an almost comical 16-month ordeal at this point. Anything you can do to help is appreciated!

I’m attaching some pictures of the damage (which we have patched together a bit out of necessity), a brief synopsis and a history of the past 16 months with trying to get this fixed.

– Adam

In 2002 I purchased a new leather couch from Macys in New Jersey along with a Stainsafe 5-year “comprehensive furniture protection plan”, shortly after the couch was delivered, while vacuuming behind it, we noticed a large gash in the leather and that part of the frame of the couch was broken. It seemed that while unloading the couch and bringing it into our home the movers had dropped the couch, and silently continued to install it in our home. While it was obscured to us for a while by the fact that it was up against a wall, even if the movers who brought it into our home did not cause the damage it should have been apparent while moving it. After going back to Macys, the store was gracious and replaced the couch.

In February of 2006, I noticed a small tear in the decking under the cushion of the couch. I immediately notified Macys and opened a work order. Through a comedy of errors and a multitude of phone calls, which are documented below, 16 months later what was a small rip has evolved to structural damage to the couch and now a cavernous hole in the decking.

The structure of the Stainsafe claims process is like a rebate, wearing you down by promising that parts are “in the mail”. When they don’t arrive, weeks later, they must be re-shipped and when they finally arrive (by the slowest shipping method possible) you still need to schedule an appointment with a technician to come install them who may or may not show up. Once the parts and the technician finally arrive, that technician decides that the parts that were ordered were the wrong ones in the first place and the process restarts all over again.

DATE Stainsafe 1-800-521-0555
Macy’s 516-536-4287 / 1-800-526-1202
J.Sechko Furniture Services, 516-536-4287
2/2/06 Opened claim # 1138888, small rip in couch decking area. Per Christina, she will order the decking and send a technician
2/23/06 Received letter, decking ordered
3/15/06 Received a postcard from Stainsafe, claim #113888 is closed. Called Stainsafe, per Simone, disregard the letter, just an error.
3/23/06 Scheduled for repair-should be contacted by technician in 7 business days
4/6/06 No call from technician, called Stainsafe, spoke with Heather at Stainsafe, invoice was not attached so the system closed the claim. New claim #1174212. Will hear by Friday 4/14 on technician.
4/21/06 No call from technician, called Stainsafe. Maria says no work order was set up- she sets up a new work order and the tech will call me by next week Notified Maria, the rip has gotten larger, additional
damage
5/2/06 No call from technician, called Stainsafe. Adrian says call the technician at J.Sechko Furniture Services, 516-536-4287, work order #1356244
5/22/06 Technician says decking too small-will re-order and reschedule. Says be sure to tell them he needs webbing when it is rescheduled.
6/8/06 Sent email to Satinsafe requesting an update, no response
6/12/06 Called Stainsafe- per Shanika, the received the technicians info on 6/8/06 requesting back cushions and decking- decision will be made in 72 hours
6/22/06 Called Stainsafe- per Marsha, cal back on 6/28
6/29/06 Called Stainsafe, per Taryn, the decking was ordered, when it’s received, call and schedule. Per Mgr. Samantha, tech says webbing needed
6/30/06 Received letter, deck area ordered
9/15/06 Still no decking, called Stainsafe. Per Tamika, she will follow up with the parts department and, they have 5-7 business days to respond to me by mail
10/2/06 Still no decking, no correspondence by mail, called Stainsafe. John says he will send a follow up email, they are not getting a response from Macy’s, suggests I call Macy’s 1-800-526-1202 Called Macy’s as per above, Tammy will contact Macys Stainsafe liaison Terry Stapleton @ Macy’s 1-800-526-1202 x 32519 and follow up
10/23/06 Still no decking, no mail, no calls, called Stainsafe. Greg transfers me Terry, the supervisor (no answer, left a voicemail). Called back, per Jeff, the files are locked transfers me to Linda who promises to call me within 72 hours
12/12/06 New decking is received
12/15/06 Called Stainsafe. Decking received, Told Lashon the technician said to make a note on the workorder that he needs to bring webbing and supports for the decking. She says the technician from J.Sechko Furniture Services should call us in 5-7 days to schedule
12/28/06 Received a postcard from Stainsafe, says technician from J.Sechko Furniture Services should call us in 5 days to schedule or call them so I called and left a message
1/19/2007 Technician scheduled, arrives w/o webbing and support for the decking, says he cannot make the repairs. Scott heard him make 2 calls from here and explained to the parts guy what he needed but there was confusion over what to order as the necessary parts. (2″ wide, one strap broken and serveral are ready to go) 3/5/07 Nothing by mail or phone, called Stainsafe. Per Mary, an email request for the straps was sent to the manufacturer – no response. Spoke with Shadell, consumer advocate, she will call the manufacturer and walk over to the parts dept and follow-up Consider sending a letter to Consumer Affairs 561-622-4260 CEO Stainsafe Steve Freidman ATTENTION: complaints
3/19/07 Nothing by mail or phone, called Stainsafe. Per Andrew, something’s been ordered, he’s guessing its what is needed
4/30/07 Received 6 metal clips with 6 rings on a thin piece of black elastic.
5/3/07 Called Stainsafe, (AJM) Lauren says that 6 elastic straps were supposed to ordered and says she will order the correct part.
5/5/07 Another letter saying decking area ordered?
5/30/07 No parts or correspondence, called Stainsafe, per Tammy, on May 11th, someone from Stainsafe spoke with Janet @ Macy’s and the part had shipped 5/11/07
6/25/07 Called Stainsafe, no parts yet. Per R.T. Shur, part order #3092295 was ordered (5/11) and uggested I call the retail store at 973-785-0407 who said call Macy’s customer service 1-800-526-1202, Bertha called Macy’s Ohio office and left a message, said it was part order #146864. Bertha Williams x 66003 from Macy’s says she will call me back today.
6/25/07 Late afternoon, no call from Bertha, call Macy’s and Melissa x24218 calls Stainsafe and speaks with Nancy who says she is sending the claim back to parts to follow-up and authorize the webbing. Suggests I call back in a week. I ask to speak with a supervisor, Nancy transfers me to the customer supervisor Monica Richardson who says the part shipped 5/11 and calls the store, says they ordered the webbing and it was shipped 5/11 via FedEx or UPS but there is no way of tracking it. She will email the vendor and find out the status of the parts shipped on 5/11 and call me back as soon as they get back to her.
6/25/07 Bertha left a message to say she followed up and called me back
6/27/07 Monica Richardson called-pls call her (Scott forgot to get name and #) 6/29/07 Received a letter from Stainsafe, decking area ordered??
7/5/07 Received stainless clips and elastic AGAIN NO WEBBING!!!
7/6/07 1-800-521-0555 Stainsafe Monica Richardson not available. Spoke w/ Tamar, she put in the request for J. Sacco Technicians come and evaluate the couch and the tech will tell them if what is ordered is what was needed (7-10 days) . Be sure to get the details, part name and number that are needed and have the tech take pictures!!!

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