Is it mahogany, or is it fiberboard?

Ah, the Rhys Coffee table. Compact, stylish, and a pretty good bargain at $699 for a mahogany piece. But wait...

In the overview:


"Our Rhys Coffee Table is built from richly grained mahogany..."

But clicking over the the product info tab:

"veneered-MDF (medium density fiberboard)... is known for its strength and stability..."

Hey, not only is it not made of mahogany (meranti is not actually mahogany), it's not even all wood! In fact, the tabletop and shelves are made mostly of glue and wood fibers. As Esbee notes, MDF is known for its cheapness and the almost superhero quickness with which it warps when the slightest bit of moisture hits it. Classy.

Tracey writes:

I have purchased many things from Pottery Barn and several items have broken after about a year. The look is wonderful. The quality is poor -- especially for the price. At this point I'd rather save a while longer and go with Restoration Hardware, whose quality is excellent. Or, Crate and Barrel which we've always had good luck with both in terms of quality and price.

I'm sure it's equally comfortable as a beach towel.

Recall Alert: Pottery Barn Hammocks

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall for approximately 30,000 Wooden Hammock Stands made by Pottery Barn. The two pole hammock stands were sold from 2003 until 2008!

So what's wrong with the stands? It seems that the wood in the hammock stands deteriorate over time spent outdoors causing cracks and breaks. Obviously this is not good because you can fall! So much for peaceful relaxation on your hammock!

If you bought one of these hammock stands you should remove the two side brackets and toss the remaining portion of the stand.

Pottery Barn Delivers 2/3 Of Your Couch, Then Gives You 2/3 Of Your Refund

From The Consumerist:

Here's a situation that sucks. Reader Joshua ordered a slip-covered sectional couch from Pottery Barn. It arrived with only one slipcover. When he called Pottery Barn to ask for the rest of his order, they told him that they'd run out of that fabric and asked if he would he like another color. He agreed and picked a color. They sent another slip-cover section. Not three sections. One section. Joshua called them back. They said they were sorry, but they'd run out of that color...

Read more here.

sassas1 writes:

I ordered some bedding for my daughter several months ago. I assumed it was quality, put it away and found later that they had sent an item that was not even pictured in the catalog. I called Cust. Service and asked to speak to a supervisor. I was told that I would have to pay an additional $21 to have the correct item shipped - for bedding!!!!

The Customer Service at Pottery Barn is terribly lacking. They have kids answering the phones, and on weekends, there is no one on duty that is older than 20. It is hard to get a reasonable person to answer a simple question.

Shame on them for their lack of customer service. They charge enough that they should offer top-of-the-line customer service, especially on weekends. My kids love their items, but I despise shopping with Pottery Barn. It is totally frustrating and dissatisfying.

I have tosay that I don't think I will be shopping for any Pottery Barn items any time soon. Too expensive for such lousy service, and the quality has seen a decline, I think.

They are too full of themselves to notice people are not liking the lack fo customer service.

Bender writes:

I purchased a sofa from Pottery Barn in June of this year. It arrived in July with the wrong slip cover. I was told that the correct slip cover would arrive in about 3 weeks that never happened. It is almost September and still no slip cover. I call the design studio every two days and I have spoken with fifteen different customer service rep. They do very little to help me get the correct slip cover. All the say to me is to just wait. I asked for a tracking number and they would not give it to me. Every time I call I get a different answer about the slip cover. I will never purchase anything from Pottery Barn again, they can not deliver what the customer purchased or even care if the order is correct.

Olivia writes:

On April the 9th I purchased a Charleston style sofa for $1903 dollars. It was to be delivered by May 5 th. We started receiving letters shortly after stating that it was on backorder- no problem! We eventually stopped receiving letters and still had no sofa. I forgot to mention that we paid with a check (Big mistake)! The first week in June I called to find out why we had not received our sofa, after one hour on the phone, it was determined that the store had entered the wrong phone number into the system and our sofa was sitting in a warehouse. WHAT! My question to them was why did they not send a letter asking for the correct phone number? So the saga continues... one week later we received the sofa. I was upstairs tending to our dog, while my husband supervised the setup of the sofa. After the delivery people had left, I came downstairs and to my horror- the sofa they delivered was not only DIRTY, but MISSING the slipcover. The sofa they delivered looked like it had fallen off the back of a thift store truck. I immediatly called the design studio who promised that it would be picked up and our money refunded. We were promised a phone call to sch. a pickup by June 12th. No call! called back promised a phone call by June 14th. No call. I was told that the paperwork has been filled out by pottery barn supervisor wrong x2. The I was told that the lady that was supposed to call me on Saturday- does not work on saturdays and that the hub is closed. This is a nightmare! if I had simply put this sofa on a credit card, I could dispute the charge. The last lady a customer supervisor was rude and arrogant. I told her that it is not brain surgery to have them sch a pickup. I also told her that if I did my job the way they are that I would be FIRED. Her response was witchy- she said We can not fire a whole entire hub, and its your choice not to shop at Pottery Barn again. I bet that if it was her $1903 dollars she would feel differently. So I have an unfinished, dirty pottery barn sofa in my den and I am out ( at this point) of my money. I think they should start paying me interest!!! Any advice or suggestions I would love to know.

DisgruntldWrkr writes:

I work for this company and will testify that the quality is falls far short considering the price. The only good items are the towels (standard Turkish towels you can purchase anywhere). The furniture is complete junk.

Connie writes:

I bought my whole house of furniture from pottery barn only 2.5 years ago. The dresser I paid dearly for cracked from top to half way down (BTW, the other furniture also scratches easily). I called PB and complaint about it. Their customer service people kept repeating that it is over one year warranty and there is nothing they will do for me. For a piece of furniture to crack within 2.5 years, it is certainly a quality issue. Even the cheap furniture I got from Ikea would not do that. I hope no one else will buy furniture from PB. With that kind of money, you can certainly get better quality furniture and not PB junk which only looks good.

What do you expect from something that looks like the Holy Hand Grenade?

Pottery Barn Recalls Decorative Candles
Pottery Barn is recalling about 185,000 round and egg-shaped decorative candles

.

The candle's exterior coating can ignite, posing a fire hazard. Pottery Barn has received two reports of the gold paint on the candle exterior igniting. No injuries or property damage have been reported.

This recall involves egg-shaped and large and small round candles sold in three sizes. The candles were sold in green, red and white with gold glitter and leaf designs. The recall includes all styles of this candle, including style numbers 9444811, 9444928, 9444936, 9444944, 9444944, 9445214, 9445222, 9445222, and 9445313. The style number for the candles can be found on the price ticket under the candle.

The candles were sold at Pottery Barn stores nationwide from September 2007 through December 2007 for between $10 and $20. They were made in Hong Kong.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled candles and return them to any Pottery Barn store for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Pottery Barn toll-free at (888) 922-9245 between 7 a.m. and 12 a.m. ET Monday through Sunday.

Jennifer writes:

I purchased two Palampore Rugs (8 x 8 and 8 x 10) from Pottery Barn in Manhattan. I have owned these rugs for less than a year and they both smell like burning or smoldering rubber. It has taken me months to realize that this toxic smell is coming from my rugs. Over the past several months I have had severe headaches, burning throat and eyes, and have been sleeping alarmingly deeply. I now realize that the cause was my bedroom rug.

I believe that my health has been undermined by the contents of this rug. I have read online that others have had similar symptoms and experiences. I believe that these rugs should not be sold in the United States. Pottery Barn wool tufted rugs with latex backings used in the home present real health consequences. The smell is unreal. I have lost $650.00 on the rugs. Please help stop the sale of these rugs in the U.S.

acl116 writes:

Worst Customer Service EVER!! We registered online for our wedding, along with several other big name places, and this is the only place that gave me constant headaches. They had a lot of glitches with displaying our registry. If our guests didn't put in the state where the wedding was held, our registry wouldn't pull up at all. Then they somehow duplicated our registry online with a blank registry, so I had more guests call me to say this wasn't working. After we received gifts, I went to return something and they said the computer system was down and they had to issue me gift cards for the items. I couldn't exchange anything there because their online products are hardly ever in the store. Despite the fact that I had changed our shipping address in the registry after our wedding date, they shipped things (including the gift cards) to the wrong address. When I went to complete my registry, I ordered my towels monogrammed and they arrived without a monogram. I sent them back to say they need to monogram them (since I paid a lot for it!!!) and now they tell me they never received them. DISASTER! I used to love Pottery Barn but now I will refuse to shop there at all until they get their act together.

Pottery Barn Kids: Not recommend for children with fingers

Pottery Barn Kids Strollers Recalled

Pottery Barn

Kids "Mini Zooper Doll" strollers are being recalled after a child's finger tip was severed.

A child’s finger can become caught in the rectangular metal clip or the black plastic side hinge, and this can sever a child’s finger tip. Also, the strollers

pose an entrapment hazard.

Pottery Barn Kids has received three reports of serious lacerations, including one partial finger severing on a 2-year-old boy.

The Mini Zooper Doll Stroller has a silver metal frame with a bright pink cotton canvas seat cover. “Pottery Barn Kids” is printed on a label on the canvas seat cover.

The strollers were sold at Pottery Barn Kids retail stores nationwide, catalog and Web site from October 2005 through June 2007 for about $50. They were made in China.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled doll strollers away from children and contact Pottery Barn Kids for instructions on receiving a repair kit.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, call Pottery Barn Kids at (888) 367-0144 between 7 a.m. and 12 a.m. ET daily or visit the firm’s Web site at www.potterybarnkids.com.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). 

sandiego2007 writes:

I love Pottery Barn furniture design, but I think I won't be ordering any for a long time. They're delivery service is horrible (delays, delivery canceled with no reason and without telling us the first time, delivery 2 hours later than the time frame promised the second time) and their customer service is even worst. When the modular sofa finally arrived, 2 and half months after the order, it was not the right orientation. Considering that it was their mistake (clearly their "design studio associates" have trouble with very simple tasks since I had to explain it several times by phone and email after ordering in the store with the correct sofa in front of us)they could have at least apologized. No way, on top of everything else we are now spending endless time on the phone trying unsuccessfully to speak with a supervisor...... 

So,if you don't want to start a months-long nightmare, stay away from their catalog/website, you may be tempted to order something!

Mariposa writes:

Their customer service and especially delivery service is severely lacking. I spent $3,000 for pool furniture and a month later and I still don't have all the items ordered and no one can tell me when I will get them although they say their are in stock. The service has been abysmal. As overpriced as they are you'd think they would make sure that their customer service was top notch, so at least they could make you feel good about spending so much money in their store! I do not plan to EVERY shop their again. I like the items but what good is it if the service and delivery stinks?

Did you pay undisclosed fees for shipping?

A law firm is investigating complaints against the Pottery Barn furniture retailer for allegations of charging additional fees for home deliveries on catalog-purchased items. Many feel that charging additional fees and/or not disclosing additional fees may be a violation of consumers rights. California state has strict consumer protection laws involving deceptive business practices, false advertising, and more.

Consumers who have ordered from Pottery Barn catalogs, Pottery Barn Kids, PB Teen and Pottery Barn Bed + Bath, or their online store may be unaware that they paid additional delivery fees or shipping insurance fees.

Pottery Barn is a part of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Brands. The nationwide home furnishings retailer and its online network, PotteryBarn.com, provide furniture, home and garden, bedding, bath, gifts, tableware and china.

Register your Pottery Barn Complaint

If you have been charged additional fees for a Pottery Barn delivery in California, you may qualify for damages or remedies that may be awarded in a possible class action or lawsuit. Please click the link below to submit your complaint to a lawyer for a free evaluation.

Please click here for a free evaluation of your case

Pottery Barn's "My first Jailbreak" crib

Pottery Barn Kids Spindle Cribs Recalled

Pottery Barn Kids is recalling about 7,600 spindle cribs. The spindles on the crib's front rail can loosen and detach from the rail. This can allow the child to fall from the crib and poses a risk of entrapment.

Pottery Barn Kids has received six reports of incidents involving spindles detaching from the crib. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves the Spindle Crib, model number 4825402. The product name and model number are printed on a label affixed to the base of the crib. Sold in white, pink and blue, the cribs are made of hardwood and measure 30.5 x 54.5 x 45" high.

The cribs were sold at Pottery Barn Kids retail stores, the Pottery Barn Kids catalog and PotteryBarnKids.com nationwide from January 2004 through July 2005 for between $300 and $500.

Consumers should immediately stop using these cribs and contact Pottery Barn Kids to receive a free replacement front rail or a full refund (including shipping).

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Pottery Barn Kids at (800) 330-6905 between 7 a.m. and 12 a.m. ET daily.

Test your child's reaction time with Pottery Barn's insta-shut technology

Pottery Barn Kids Recall Outdoor Trunks

Pottery Barn Kids is recalling about 80 Chesapeake Outdoor Trunks. A problem with the lid support on the trunk could cause the lid not to stay open, posing the risk of an impact injury to a child's head, fingers or hands. Cameron toy chests are also being recalled.

No injuries or incidents have been reported.

This recall involves all Chesapeake Outdoor Trunks. The model number (6512982) is printed on a sticker under the trunk. The trunks are made of tropical hardwood and measure 40 x 19 x 25" high.

The trunks were sold through the Pottery Barn Kids Web site and catalog from March 2005 through late April 2005 for about $350.

Consumers should immediately stop young children from using these outdoor trunks and contact Pottery Barn Kids to determine if their trunk is included in the recall. Pottery Barn Kids will provide consumers with a replacement trunk or refund.

Consumer Contact: Contact Pottery Barn Kids at (800) 699-0449 between 7 a.m. and 12 midnight daily or visit the firm's Web site at www.potterybarnkids.com

That's some pretty expensive kindling

Pottery Barn Recalls Flammable Rugs

Pottery Barn is recalling about 960 Bailey Chenille Rugs because the rugs violate the federal Flammable Fabrics Act and could ignite, presenting a risk of burn injuries.

The recalled Pottery Barn Bailey Chenille Rugs are "periwinkle blue" color only. Two models/sizes are recalled: 4479028 (8" x 10") and 4479036 (5" x 8"). They are 65% rayon and 35% cotton.

The rugs were sold at Pottery Barn retail stores nationwide, from November 11, 2002 to August 27, 2003, for $199 to $399.

Remedy: Full refund. Consumers should stop using the rugs and contact Classic Concepts to arrange for the rug to be picked up and shipped back to Classic Concepts, the manufacturer. Consumers will receive a full refund when the recalled rugs are returned.

Consumer Contact: Call Classic Concepts (ask for Eden Courtney) at (800) 254-1927, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Mountain Time) or go to the Pottery Barn Web site at www.potterybarn.com.

When going down the ladder just isn't fast enough

Pottery Barn Recalling Stinson Bunk Beds

Pottery Barn kids is voluntarily recalling about 200 Stinson Bunk Beds. The side rail and guardrails can break, causing the bed to collapse and allowing childen to fall out of the beds.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Pottery Barn has received two reports of beds collapsing. Two 3-year-old girls suffered minor scrapes and bruises in separate incidents.

The bunk beds are made of pine in white or honey, and are identified in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog by model numbers 3443082 or 3443090.

The recalled bunk beds were sold through Pottery Barn Furniture Outlets

in Leesburg, Va.; Memphis, Tenn.; Dawsonville, Ga.; and Jeffersonville, Ohio; and nationwide through the Pottery Barn Kids catalog from September 1999 through July 2000 for about $1,100.

Consumers should stop using the bunk beds and contact Pottery Barn Kids at (800) 671-8312 to schedule a home pick-up. The firm will refund the purchase price, including shipping, and provide a $200 gift certificate. For additional information, contact Pottery Barn Kids at (800) 671-8312 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Saturday.