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Horchow - Never again.

User
12 years ago

Has anyone dealt with Horchow?

I am so done with this store which is part Of Neiman Marcus. Not cheap right?

I wanted new rugs and some asian art. I forgot how unreliable they are.The arrive date is pushed back and back by months with no communication that you aren't receiving it now and maybe ever. Isn't that against the law? Don't I have the right to know and cancel?I asked for the email address of the V.P. and the woman said she had it right there and I checked it twice and it was wrong.

The rug came and was rust not red. No way to know because

they have such poor descriptors. The Customer Service people say what they think it looks like. Never offer to get information. The stuff is not sold in Neiman Narcus either.

Tacky store.

A metallic gold background on a picture was in fact grey, The sales service said they suspected there was a spotlight on it. How would I know that?

I have learned my lesson.

Comments (37)

  • PRO
    Lori A. Sawaya
    12 years ago

    Twitter and facebook are wonderous, wonderous places to get feedback and give feeback.

    Hope it all works out in your favor. What a disappointment and pain in the patoot.

    Here's their FB page.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Horchow on facebook

  • dakota01
    12 years ago

    I once called Horchow to inquire about bedding and to have the rep explain the color to me. She said, she only "sees" what I am seeing on my monitor. Needless to say, I did not order as I did not want to be suprised by the actual/true color and have to return it

  • tinycastles
    12 years ago

    That really sucks for you. I hate being disappointed with an online purchase I had been SO excited about receiving. Obviously you can return the items, right? I will say, regardless of vendor, ordering rugs online that you have not seen in person is risky business. I personally feel when making a purchase such as this, it needs to be seen/touch/smelled IRL, or at the very least a sample should be ordered (Horchow offers samples for purchase.)

    I have ordered from Horchow quite a bit over the years. I have ordered items that were on major backorder (I once ordered this ipadesque electronic recipe device from Horchow for my mom for Christmas. She received it....2 months after Christmas!) I will say they communicated the entire time, offering shipment updates and opportunity to cancel my order at any time before it shipped. So that is odd you received no communication. It is law, by the way. Horchow has always contacted me about backordered items. Some dishes I had ordered were the same scenario, but I knew before I placed the order because it was stated right under the product.

    I couldn't agree more about the lame product descriptions. I ordered a chandelier from Horchow for my Master Bedroom. It was gorgeous in the pic. I normally don't do silver tones and tend toward ORB or Aged Brass, but the finish was described as Antique Pewter and looked quite dark and aged in pic. It arrived, and it was bright shiny silver. Not antiqued, not pewter. It looked NOTHING like the pic. Same chandelier, but looked like a completely different finish. I realized it was Crystorama after I saw the brand on the box. So I sent it back and did some digging online. I ended up ordering in the finish I truly wanted- English Bronze! Not even an option on their site.

  • User
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Tinycastles, It is great that you saw the product you wanted somewhere else. It sounds like you do a great deal of research. If you like their site, what others would you recommend?

    A lonng time ago, I bought something on Horchow and got a post card that gave me an option to opt out because it was going to be late. Not anymore.They wanted me to drive and hour and a half to a carrier that would return my rug. I forget which one. I live 6 miles outside of Washington,DC and they couldn't find a carrier in my area.

    I have used Gumps many times and they have real customer service.

    If you go to the Horchow site you will see an $800 , 5 foot Santa Clause. I inquired endlessly about the width of it which they stated was 12 inches. Quite impossible.
    Feed back on line was in broken English telling me they had no more information. People on line never called back and when the catalogue came out it has the same dimensions. No one follwed up or cared.

    They have lovely looking different things in a market where there are few furniture stores. But you can't trust them. Here in Alexandria, VA we have lost all of our furniture stores. So, Horchow can now have the "do you wanna order it or not, lady?" attitude.
    Again, if you have any online stores you trust let me know. Thanks.

  • User
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Jennie01. I read the Horchow facebook page and that has to be phony. I have tried to many times through the years to deal with these people and it isn't like that at all.

    Enthusiastic customers and sale reps. No way.
    Thanks for opening my eyes to that.

  • Arapaho-Rd
    12 years ago

    I ordered my fp screen from them and was not impressed either. Needless to say, that was mt first and last purchase. Here's their BBB rating and info...surprised to see how well they're rated. Maybe this will help you.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Better Business Bureau rating

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    12 years ago

    Ellie, have you tried European Country Living or Creative Classics, both on King Street (and both have websites)? Also tons of small consignment places and antique stores have furniture. There is a large (sort of) consignment store in Del Ray at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Monroe. We have found things there from time to time. Also, Reunions on Quaker Lane (actually in little shopping center where the CVS is one end and Baskin Robbins on the other.

  • jan_in_wisconsin
    12 years ago

    Just wanted to say that I ordered bedding from Nieman Marcus (sister store of Horchow) for the first time a few months ago, and everything shipped and arrived perfectly and quickly. I did ask an online store rep about a pillow that was no longer available, and I was told that it couldn't be ordered because it would likely never become available again. However, I noticed it did become available some time later. Other than that, my experience was good. I did wait for a promo with free shipping and some percentage off, which helped with the cost.

  • tinycastles
    12 years ago

    Despite my few issues I've had over time, I will continue to order from Horchow. In the past, I have found some of the items they carry elsewhere for a cheaper price. I have learned before ordering from their site it is best to do a thorough search online to see if said item can be found cheaper or in other finish options/colors. Sometimes it can. Sometimes it cannot. Long story short: I have found some unique products on their site that are impossible to find elsewhere, and that is why I continue to shop there.

    A few other points to make, based strictly on my experience:

    Furniture delivery is white glove and my ordered items have always arrived in perfect condition. One example: They had TWO men deliver my two Dining Arm Room chairs... light items I can easily carry myself. They insisted on placing the chairs inside my office (I had chairs delivered to work) even though I said they could leave them in the front entry area.

    I have never had issues with returns.

    I have ordered some delicate items such as extremely large framed artwork with glass, starburst mirror, ceramics, etc. and have never had issues with cracking or damage.

    On the other hand, when my Ogden mirror from Ballard arrived, it had a small crack in the wood in the upper right hand corner, and the paint was flaking around the damaged area. I didn't even bother sending it back though, because the damage was minor and not worth the trouble of returning it.

    As for shopping elsewhere, I am a bad person to ask:) Not sure where you are located, but Gabberts in Edina (Minneapolis area) is the only comparable brick and mortar store I have browsed that carries Horchowesque stuff. I usually frequent HomeGoods, Tuesday Morning, have ordered from Ballard, Front Gate, some other random catalogs, etc. Nothing that really compares to Horchow's mashup of classic/Avant garde/Hollywood glam. I have purchased artwork/original oils directly from artists or home decor boutiques. Most of my large rugs are from Homegoods, because I have a toddler, two dogs, and we have yet to invest in an expensive area rug.

  • mitchdesj
    12 years ago

    25 to 30% off the ENTIRE SITE, I was checking out bathroom accessories on Horchow this very instant, and saw the sale.

    but if they don't have the merchandise in stock..................

    I've had good luck with horchow in the past, on bed linens, monogrammed towels and wreaths...........

  • User
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    cyn427, Yes, you must live near me. I do go into Reunions every once in a while when I get my dog groomed around the corner and have not gone into the King Street stores you mentioned in a while. I guess I eat out at night and walk along the waterfront nowdays. The tourists are gone so I will do that now that I have you to push me.

    My focus has been to add a a few Asian pieces - some art work, a table and Persian rugs to go with some others I have in the livingroom. Artwork is very cheap on Horchow and not an important loss as I have not been passonate about it. It is hard to find those rugs anymore since there are so many embargos.They are also very expensive but Horchow has others I have fancied. We have rug dealers around Alexandria too.I am waiting for my friend from Iran to come home and to go with me. She can settle the price for me and the rug dealers will listen to her. I liked ordering on line very much and it is clear that Horchow does not have control of its inventory and depends on the vendors who are, in my case, out of the country and unreliable. I would like to hear their side of the story since I am only dealing with customer service who works for the broker - Horchow. Thanks for your input.

    Arapaho, thanks for the BBB site. It is interesting to note when they say (Horchow will) make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints.

    I cannot dispute that as I have never gone to the BBB to complain.

    Tinycastles, thanks for your time and your input and I am glad that those of you who have gotten what you wanted are able to shop there. Try Gumps as well. They are out of San Fran and have been good to me.

  • User
    12 years ago

    Fwiw, I agree with you completely about Gump's. They are an outstanding merchant, both theor bricks and mortar store and their online site--- best customer service and consistently high quality, unusual goods on offer.

  • mjsee
    12 years ago

    Can't you just cancel your order?

  • User
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I have no orders to cancel anymore. Lessons learned.

  • User
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I perhaps am putting too much time into a finished subject but someone sent me this link and these more recent reviews are the ones I relate to.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Horchow reviews

  • Adam Silber
    8 years ago

    Horchow disintegrated under Neiman Marcus. company Facebook page is almost a nonstop source of complaints... best to avoid them for certain

  • Olychick
    8 years ago

    why are you reviving a 4 year old thread?


  • Adam Silber
    8 years ago

    i just saw it. to warn others about horchow

  • maggie200
    8 years ago

    I appreciate your post Adam Silber. The post is still relevant today. I have seen they announced they 'heard the customers' and have lower priced rugs. I would love hear other stories. And it seems FB comments are turning against them. I'm not fond of NM either. They send brochures called NM online or by mail. It is junk. When I too the clothing back I was told NM sells their name to these mailers. Shame on them. I work for Nordstrom. Need I say any more. Thanks again, often, we bring back subjects to help out.



  • feddup
    8 years ago

    I don't have much experience with Horchow, but they aren't alone. I've had similar experiences with Pottery Barn, where they keep delaying the ship date, but they don't charge in advance of shipping.

    Since I'm in the DC area and fairly new and need some rugs, I'd appreciate more local tips. I'm having a hard time finding something between factory-made cookie-cutter cheap and I-can't-believe-anyone-pays-that-much places. There are a couple nice rug shops in Bethesda, which is closer to me, but their merchandise is mostly traditional oriental rugs. I'm trying to modernize my taste a bit. Maybe something in Craftsman style or a not-too-out-there pattern. I made the mistake of going to Bloomingdale's, but I learned my lesson to stay away from there.


  • Dolly
    8 years ago

    @feddup - check out bakersfield rugs. they have a varied selection albiet the prices are also varied but they let you try a rug for a week and return it no questions asked. we loved some of what we saw there but ended up buying online b/c we found some good deals on similar things. sometimes its easier to purchase when you can touch and feel so if you're looking for brick and mortar that would be my suggestion!

  • maggie200
    8 years ago

    Thanks, I'll look on line. Feddup, GreenFront has been in Manassas and big place in FarmVille, VA. That place is a hike but look at the site. Very popular for rugs. Bloomingdale's never hurt me. In the olden days I got a good Persian rug. Really. Williamsburg also if you have the inclination to go. Olde Towne Alexandria is much smaller,full of history and good restaurants.


  • feddup
    8 years ago

    Bakersfield seems to have mostly machine-made common brands like Karastan--not what I have in mind. GreenFront looks promising but far from me, and I would want to bring rugs home to try. Is there a particular store in Old Town?

  • maggie200
    8 years ago

    http://heratorientalrugs.com/ is one in Alexandria. There are a few others that are handmade and very costly $7K and up since the embargo on Iran. I don't know what you want.

  • feddup
    8 years ago

    I want a $7000 rug for half the price. Seriously, though, I don't want to pay more than $5000, preferably less. Went to a small store in DC and saw a lovely rug for 12 grand.

  • vedazu
    8 years ago

    Finding this diatribe against Neiman Marcus kind of weird....you can't even begin to compare NM with Nordstroms....one is high fashion and top of the line and Nordstroms is a middle of the road, non-fashion oriented store. Unless you live in Minneapolis, most Nordstroms don't have enough merchandise in them..."we can order it for you." Hellloooo! I already lived through Sears Roebuck and "Monkey Wards."

  • maggie200
    8 years ago

    vedazu, please take the time to look up Nordstrom. Google it. Look at the reviews. It is the premier store for customer service. Also look up the new one in Manhattan coming in 2018. Highest building in the western hemisphere and located on billionaire street. They never say we'll order it for you. They find the store that has your item right in front of you and send it to you immediately- probably before you get home- free of charge. Sorry, but you are on the wrong site. Our conversations on here are polite and helpful and stick to the subject which you have failed to find. Please use better manners in future posts to my site.

  • vedazu
    8 years ago

    Maggie. You have stated you work for Nordstroms. It is a nice store. We have one in our town. The only time I go into a bricks and mortar store these days is when I don't have time to order something online. Invariably, when I go into Nordstroms in an effort to keep this nice store in business, they must order whatever it is I need. Again, "finding this diatribe against Neiman Marcus kind of weird .." except for the fact that you work for Nordstroms. .

  • feddup
    8 years ago

    Maggie,

    Thank you for the tip about GreenFront. I found rugs there priced so much less than elsewhere I've looked, of apparently the same quality, that I kept wondering what I was missing. I spent hours there and ended up with a couple of rugs I really like, for considerably less than I would have paid elsewhere. I also like that they have so many rugs hanging. I always feel so bad making someone flip over piles and piles of heavy carpets. My only gripe is that they won't let you take any home to try and give only store credit for returns, although they did offer the alternative of cash back minus a 15% restocking fee. They explained that this is the tradeoff for their low prices.

  • maggie200
    8 years ago

    Feddup, I am so glad you liked that store. I assume you went to the one in Manassas. There is one in a darling town called Farmville, VA. It is very large. I have yet to go there but have plenty of friends who have gone with friends. Kind of a fun trip and get together. Four hours away from Washington, DC area, I take many pictures of my rooms and bring samples of sofa, curtains, paint in a little baggie along with dimensions. It is better than keeping it in my head. You sound like a very smart shopper. GreenFront is good to know. They sell very nice furniture too. They don't advertise much so it is fun to find out about them through a friend.

  • feddup
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Yes, Manassas; that trip was long enough, especially given the inexplicably heavy traffic in VA (you know, one of those jams where, when it finally opens up, you never know why). I did have dimensions and photos, although I was expecting to either be completely disappointed or at least just bring home some rugs to try.

    I'm curious about the furniture. The list of brands they carry seems pretty large and includes many nice names, but the furniture I saw as I walked through to the rugs didn't look very nice to me. Maybe it's the setting?

  • maggie200
    8 years ago

    Glad you were enchanted with the rugs, Feddup. I have never bought furniture there. I decorated my place in slowly collected 18th C pieces. I don't have room to add more eclectic pieces but would gladly help another as I do think it can gives one such freedom and satisfaction to incorporate one of a kind pieces. There are very heavy dark pieces like armoires as I remember and one of a kind sofas. Not pieces I need or fell in love with. I would have to go back occasionally. I have had friends haul back beautiful end tables and planters and rugs I wish I had. When I go anywhere with a special shopping friend who opens my eyes to possibilities, I feel new again.iike going to the National Gallery and understanding an abstract painting that is explained to me.

    I drive everywhere around here. Occasionally I am caught in gridlock. More time to sing a DVD I burned. Truly try and go off times 10am. Truly wish trucks would be replaced with off road trains. Truck lobbies prevail less and less

  • Shamsi Vatannia
    3 years ago

    I will not ever again deal with this company
    I ordered bunch of stuff but the sofa was damaged I cancelled all and I have not received my refund yet ,5 weeks the customer service is bad
    I find them incompetent and rude

  • maggie200
    3 years ago

    Gumps is back in business and I’m wondering how people have taken to it. When it opened before Christmas of 2019 it had very expensive jewelry and one-of-a-kind little china pieces. I believe they were in the middle of floods and fires and were hoping that people would go to the store. I’ve never been to the store but I was at one time happy with the things I bought there and it is owned by a new company and wonder what other people think.

  • inspiredreams
    3 years ago

    Horchow charged me for a coffee table they never delivered. Disgusting company

  • Newman Peyton
    3 months ago

    This is a lie!