"My negative response is threefold based on multiple custom orders. 1) poor quality 2) lack of communication and follow up on my fabric missing 3) postponed delivery out a month with no notification"

"I will start by saying I have several things from Ballard and like the products themselves. However, the customer service is awful! I ordered an item on May 30, 2018 and it was on backorder until September. I received the item in September and it was the wrong color. Now they are telling me I need to wait until November 12th. I want to know where the console I ordered is. Anyhow, I called customer service and was eventually sent to a Product Specialist. She agreed to call around to local stores to see if they had any in stock and she would call me back. Not only did she not call back but when I had to follow up, the product specialist had not documented our conversation. I left a few messages for the product specialist and she did not return my calls. Today, I requested to speak to another product specialist and the outcome is was a credit on shipping and a estimated date of November. Also, no apologies or ownership on this mistake. If the console did not match the table I purchased, I would look elsewhere. We will see if they get this right in November......"

"First I ordered a quilted coverlet and waited 3 months to receive it. After unpacking the item, there were two small oil type spots on it. I called and Ballard had me send back for an exchange for the same price - no discount offered for my hassle. I received the second quilt and there were loose threads on it with a red tag. Upon further inspection I noticed that the quilting was not completed in this area. Would have been easily noticed if quality control would have checked it. Called again for an exchange. This time they charged me tax (didn't pay those on my first order or first exchange) and when I called to inquire they said there is nothing they can do. So I am now paying more for the replacement than on the original item. They claim they can't give me a discount either to offset the increase cost due to taxes. I would just return and move on but I already have ordered curtains, etc for the room. Can't believe I have to pay more money to replace a damaged item. "

" I ordered a custom bench for my kitchen in MARCH of 2018. It is now JULY 22, 2018 and I am still waiting for the bench to be delivered. Each time I call "customer service" I get a different answer. Unsatisfactory service."

"Horrible horrible customer service. I ordered an indoor/outdoor rug and the product I received was an indoor rug (with care instructions on the rug that stated no direct sun exposure). I was told by customer service to ignore that tag! The rug was not even made of the material it was supposed to be. It’s over a month since I returned the wrong product sent to me and I’m still calling customer service to sort out the refund. No one ever seems to be able to figure out what happened. They are the WORST store I’ve ever dealt with and they even gave me a hard time when I asked for a discount on the rest of my order for all the trouble they’ve caused!!!! HORRIBLE. Cannot underscore that enough. Save yourself the trouble and skip Ballard. "

"Do not do business with this company. They do not care about your experience. 1 year ago I ordered Gabriel Corner Cabinet. It arrived 6 months later (Jan 2018) and had no install instructions, no anti-tip kit. The cabinet was assembled correctly with what was provided. The entire cabinet fell forward, once china was placed in it. It fell over my head and shoulder, breaking china and cabinet fell apart (6 pieces). It took 5 months to get the replacement and they only sent the top half of the cabinet, no base and no anti-tipping kit. Upon complaint, they offered no resolution, other than another exchange that would take another 6 months. They were very rude and uninterested in my negative experience or trying to offer a better resolution. This is a horrible company!"

"Waited and waited talked to customer services, no update emails until I complained then they came every three days. Charged my AMEX business card and took forever to communicate 2017. Didn't learn my lesson and again Ordered over St. Patrick's weekend checked out on Monday 3/19/2018 my confirmation email didn't reflect my order as shipped. Talked to customer service and they didn't know how pillow covers and pillows w/inserts look on invoice she couldn't tell me how many full pillows with inserts she sees on my order vs. partial shipment. To boot they had wrong quantity and a different charged amount. Used the store's credit card to the tune of just under $500.00 she was VERY rude from the beginning stating she had already told me and wasn't going to repeat herself and refused to escalate me to supervisor or another Customer Service Rep. After a bit of silence I wished her a good day and ended the call from He**. So so disappointed in Ballard. Looked on Glassdoor for the Jacksonville, FL store and it had one-star rating..! 1 measly star for pay, mgt, communication and fear and gossip in store. I have spend plenty of money online commerce NEVER again at Ballard. Bunny Williams should be ashamed!"

"I placed my order for a custom chair on January 10th, and was informed that it would be delivered to me on March 23rd. I received an email on March 9th that my chair was on back order due to the fact “it was a very popular item” and it was a month delayed! Waiting 3 months for a chair to be delivered? Unacceptable...shop for custom pieces at Calico Corners instead. I have never had a problem there."

"We ordered six pieces of the Tuscan wall units in cream color for about $4200 (with the recent 25% off sale) from the web site. We never had to deal with the customer service people because the order arrived in Southern California within 10 days, two weeks earlier than the original estimate, and was delivered exactly when JB Hunt Last Mile said they would be (Hunt called the day before with a 4 hour window and they hit it right in the middle.) The correct six pieces were all there and completely assembled except for the movable shelves.

The two JB Hunt guys were polite and efficient, carefully unboxed everything, helped me look the pieces over for damage, carried all six pieces up to the second floor, and took all of the packaging with them. There was only one small bit of damage, a 10" crack in the back panel of one unit that doesn't go all the way through. It isn't very visible and we chose to accept the piece rather than wait for a replacement (we'll patch and paint it to match, no big deal.)

So...the ordering and delivery part would get a "5". But that's balanced with the 3.5 I would give the product itself.

The description of the product as "birch" isn't entirely true - the side and back panels are fairly flimsy pressboard. One of the corner units was a little warped vertically so we couldn't get both the top and the bottom to align completely with the matching unit (about 1/4" gap at the bottom). Two of the units were slightly lighter in shade than the rest (but the paint is very well and evenly applied).

On the other hand, the secretary's fold-down desk panel and its supports seem substantial and there is a built-in power supply with 3 110 volt and 2 USB receptacles. The light at the top of the secretary turns on, dims and turns off with a touch of the hinge - nice. The shelves are solid and attractive and finished on all sides. The unit presents well when assembled - it almost looks built-in. The units feel like they're sturdy and well assembled.

So... more expensive than Ikea but a lot better. Cheaper than Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel but not as good. We think it pretty well meets its price point (more so with the 25% sale).

"

"I ordered a Layla leather recliner back in October 2017 (its now February 2018), the chair was originally supposed to arrive in 2017 then rescheduled for January 22, 2018.

The week it was to arrive, I receive snail mail from Ballard (now they have my email and have communicated with me several times via email with me, they also have my cell phone since this item requires in person delivery) that says because its been so long the credit card you used for this item is no longer valid, please contact us within 15 days to give us a new credit card.

I called the next day and I'm told sorry, your order was cancelled. Was it 15 days since I received the letter, no, it was the next day, was it 15 days from the date of the letter, no as well. But alas the order was cancelled. Did I want to re-order. I really didn't want to but its the last item in a designer designed living room so I really didn't want to start over looking for a new chair. So I reorder the chair, now I won't get it until March something 2018. Terrible service, they should have emailed me and since I called well within the 15 days the order should not have been cancelled.

Meanwhile, as I reorder the chair I ask the customer service person, do I need to re-order the side tables as well. I'm told oh no, those are fine, blah, blah. Well, a few days later I get another snail mail letter with the same please contact us within 15 days or your order will be cancelled for the side tables. Same thing, I call the next day, well within the 15 days from the date of the letter and the side tables were cancelled too, in that instance I was able to reorder and they did waive shipping but no other concessions for the repeated run around. Who knows if the chair will ever arrive.

I will not do biz with this company again after I get that dang chair. "

"My wife ordered a corner banquette (with cushions) and a Tatum Trestle table from these guys. Everything came a different times with different packaging. Inside delivery and set up? yes, but only for the Banquette, but not the table. First table arrives, I unpack it. It's gouged heavily along both sets of legs where it was rubbing against a rail on the bottom of the table. Called customer service, do the whole thing again. We've been through FOUR (4!!!) tables, all with the same problem. They promised to open and check.. still every table leg is gouged. Wrote an email to the PRESIDENT OF BALLARD using the address they provide on their website, with pictures explaining what was wrong and showing the damage. They must be sitting in the office laughing at my stupidity for sending an email, trying to get the table that my wife wanted. So now i have a useless Banquette and they want me to keep (and pay for) the gouged table. "

"I purchased the Jillian whitewash cake stand and it came in broken... the wooden pedestal was separated from the cake plate. Ballard designs sent a replacement promptly and the second cake stand received had the same problem. Ballard designs offered to send a third replacement which I refused as it's a Christmas gift and Christmas is less than two weeks away. I am forced to glue a very expensive cake stand back together and HOPE that the glue will hold it together. I was offered a 25$ store credit which I didn't accept. I thought such a reputable company might offer a more customer friendly solution but evidently I was mistaken. Extremely disappointed and will think long and hard before purchasing anything else from Ballard designs again!"

"Similar to other reviewers, I received a damaged item. It was the beadboard entry cabinet. Long story short...Customer service lied during my calls with them phone and refused any reasonable resolution. They then lied to my credit card dispute department. Bottom line... Customers should NOT incur costs for shipping and replacement of items REVEIVED damaged.
As I think back...my only other truly SUBSTANCIAL purchase from Ballard Designs were some dining chairs. They arrived with stained legs that were significantly different from chair to chair (wrong finish shipped on some of the legs...not just normal variation in the wood.) More trouble than It's worth ordering from this company then having to correct their errors! Buy from another company! (And just use their lovely catalogues for IDEAS only!!)"

"HORRIBLE first-time experience. Purchased the Olivia cocktail table online at the recommendation of an interior designer I hired to redesign my living and dining room. Was excited to receive this new table.

The Olivia cocktail table arrived quickly and was packaged well; however, upon removing the glass top of the table, I immediately noticed a one inch-long cut in the glass top. The base of the table had a "QC" tag attached to it so I am not sure how this item was shipped. First, I contact the Ballard Design store located about 20 miles from my house. The customer service rep tells me I can repackage the table and bring the table into the store for an exchange. The box is 40 inches long, so I obviously cannot wrap my arms around the box. What's more, I later learn the store has a drop-off option but the lady I speak to never tells me about the "drop-off" option when I express frustration about bringing a huge 40' x 29' box in with small children in tow.

I then call the 800 number. This customer service rep tells me to repackage the table and UPS would pick up. If I want to exchange it and would like my table immediately, then I can pay for a new table and a refund would be issued when they receive the table I am returning. Obviously, returning this large item is a huge inconvenience. Reshipping a replacement glass top would have been much appreciated. I called the 800 number again to speak with a supervisor, expressing the inconvenience and asking they ship a replacement glass top. The supervisor tells me UPS will not ship a glass top due to safety issues. So. You can purchase a mirror online, but Ballard Design won't ship a glass top?

This purchase is my first and last from ballarddesigns.com. I now have a damaged $300 cocktail table that looks like someone took a razor blade to the mirrored top of it.

Also, ballarddesign.com won't let you post a one-star review even if you keep it to a few sentences and just the facts. Have tried twice to publish a one-star review and both times I receive an e-mail that says the review doesn't meet their guidelines. Why have a one-star option if you don't let customers publish it?

Save yourself the stress and stay far away from this company!



"

"My husband and I wasted our entire afternoon at the new store in Roosevelt Field because salesperson did not know shipping policies, product information or how to place an order.

The very first question we asked was could we place an order and pick up at the store to save on shipping.

One and half hrs later, after fumbling with the computer trying to log in, entering the order, accidentally deleting the order, reentering the order, asking a co worker to assist her to no avail and finally tracking down the manager, we were told that part of the order must be shipped to our home and not to the store because it was over sized. The same rug in 2 x 3 and 3 x 5 also had to be shipped so obviously the size explanation didn't make sense.

I complained online to customer service and got a ridiculous non caring response. Same day we stopped at Pottery Barn- sales person was helpful- knew the products, knew their policies & explained why there was an advantage for me to shop there VS ordering online. I will never shop at Ballard again."