based on what we bought my mother-in-law for her apartment, Wayfair is about on par with Big Lots. I can't see it as a professional designer's solution to anything.

I'm curious - how did you find this designer?

To clarify, does her contract says that she marks up purchases by 10%, and you have seen invoices in her file that show that marked up the purchases by more than that?

Look. I see LOTS of great style that I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole! I think the styling on an RH sofa is often fantastic. There is no way it is quality, or built to last. That is just simple fact. I routinely listen to tales of tears and sorrow on these! I could toss you together a great looking room from a host of discount websites. would I do it? No. I would not! I will certainly browse the pillows at TJ Maxx.

It is my job to source the best value for a clients budget. Given someone who wanted an entire room for 8k, my response is "let's get you a nice sofa, a chair and a cocktail table perhaps. That's it. The rest? Call me when funds become available,

I can walk into rooms I did ten years ago and they still look and feel great. I am now recovering two chairs for a client that were purchased 20 years ago! Why? Because there is nothing she can buy today at a moderate price of even 1500.00 to 2500.00 per chair, that will be close to the same quality as those from many years ago. They're timeless , comfortable , super looking chairs. And they will look brand new and be just as comfy as they now are, when redone. Sorry.......that's just truth in chairs that have had hours and hours daily of sitting for all those years, by someone considerably..... heavy..

Not my fault that the comparable chair today costs far more, and might last five years versus twenty.

Many people here feel that saracharaf was not well advised on value for money when buying furniture. I can see how the pros especially would want to weight in on that issue. But it doesn't answer saracharaf's question which is "what can I do?"

If the only issue is bad advice, then I don't think there is anything she can do. But she has said she has a contract and I think she said she has evidence (invoices) that she was charged more than the 10% contract markup. No matter what was purchased, it should have been marked up no more than the contract, right? Anything she pays should be according to the contract.

My designer provided me with invoices that showed how much she paid, and she showed her mark up on top of that. My contract also included her being paid by the hour, and that was shown too along with saying what she did during those hours. She gave me enough detail in her invoice that I knew I was being charged according to my contract with her.

I found I found her in houzz surprisingly and. Wrote hiring her I called the Michigan design center and they said she is registered and stuff.

If my budget was low for her she should have told me I can only do this much for you with this budget. I told her before I hired her what I wanted and how much I was willing to pay. I think it is very dishonest to tell me she can get me the best quality and custom through her vendors and end up getting them from wayfair. She won't return any money and I know she won't do anything about it honestly cause every time my husband and I tried to say something she always argued with us but we were stuck cause we had already paid her as per her request.

I am going to try with wayfair one more time and see if they can do something about it but I really doubt it.

Hey contract said 10% added to retail value. She added way more than that

@Jan Where might one go about finding a high quality sectional? My husband and I very much like the deep seated look of the Uno sectional from cb2, but haven't been willing to pull the trigger due to concerns about the comfort and longevity. Where do you recommend for the best couches, and sectionals? Thank you :)

Custom made for that price... perhaps if it was for the sofa alone not for a package deal. I was asked $1000.00 just to reupholster an old chair and it only took 8 yards of fabric that I already have . I think that "custom" doesn't apply in your case. You never mentioned the size nor the fabric of your sofa. Next time ask Houzzers before anything else.

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/50302851/list/shop-houzz-chesterfield-sofas-for-every-budget

What exactly does her contract say about any other fees that she can charge? Does it specify a fee or an hourly rate in addition to the 10% mark up? Did she give you an itemized bill showing what you were paying her for?

Do you have any evidence that would stand up in small claims court that she charged you more than you had agreed on in the contract?

I hope you get this resolved to your satisfaction -- such a terrible situation. One thing I would do is write an honest review of the designer and her services, then post it wherever possible. Make sure your review is based on true facts and done without malice. Good luck!

No fee charged from us , we offer you our advises for free

I like Jan's advice on returning everything. Does she work for someone? Can you call the firm? I would be livid, it sounds like a total scam

Sara, don't listen to those saying you should have known. If you gave a designer a budget of $8000, she should have worked in that budget and explained to you what you were getting. You are right to be angry.

This designer gave her sofas with a value of 10% of the budget she was given - that's a rip off. Why people are putting it back on Sara, I don't know. The designer stole from Sara.

No one can scam a realist.

like everything else out there we need to research and ask question before falling victims to any sort of scam or scam artists , $8000.00 are a lot of money to be spending on one shot , plus the other $1500.00 , I'm sorry that you didn't get what you were hoping for , perhaps if you would have gone to a store in person and looked at a few things asking prices and researching on the quality of these items you would have had a better idea of what to expect. Some store even offer free at home consultation . If you use your sofa everyday my advise to you is to invest on a top quality one.

what is in writing to the couches? did she or you get it in writing that they are custom made. also you need i written from wayfiar that they came from there. also you need the reciepts... tell her its for insurance... does she know all this info?

https://www.wayfair.ca/Dahlia-Sofa-HOHN2639-HOHN2639.html

I agree with partim. What exactly did your contract state about fees other than the 10% markup on goods? If there is any mention of hourly fees for design/research/sourcing? Ask for a detailed, itemized bill so you know exactly how the funds were allocated.

I think you need to have a frank conversation with her. She works for you. Start off with the poor quality of the furniture that has failed after only two months and tell her you want her to return it. Her response will dictate what your further actions might be. I hope you can get this resolved.

I found I found her in houzz surprisingly and. Wrote hiring her I called the Michigan design center and they said she is registered and stuff.

write houzz and tell them what she did to you.............

mousing around because you paid her upfront......... not worth it. you just are giving her more legs to prove you liked her work. I dont understand paying people upfront.

@Katie Koss

A decent quality sectional with a modern feel such as your Uno, is truly a more difficult proposition from a USA manufacturer. Why? Well...... there actually is a reason for this. If you turn back the clock fifteen years, the appeal of a very modern look was far more confined to a young generation. A mobile generation. It was not uncommon to find the junk on the curb when a twenty something relocated from NYC to San Francisco!! Then came the far reaching and much wider effects of a trend to cleaner and less fussy environments appealing to those much more financially established. Custom Italian leathers....mid century vintage redone for those folks, were simple things to achieve. But a gap STILL exists in the mid point market. Styling is still a bit more traditional at upper moderate sources. Couple this with the fact that it is far simpler to disguise the trappings of structure and comfort.....in a slightly less sleek and modern piece of upholstery.

However, it would seem very simple that the USA manufacturer would understand that the seating depth and "look" of a sofa is important, and give some of these frames a big kick in the A__ without turning them into a bloody fortune, while still providing some quality and longevity. It would seem a marriage of these elements would be possible and a filling of this obvious gap in the marketplace, equally possible.. Apparently not?!!

Nothing, but nothing in any sofa is "good" at two grand. It just isn't. It's nothing more than forcing a product into what the seller has determined is the PAIN threshold FOR CONSUMERS. They give you what is possible to give you, and still profit to the max but they give you a pile of junk. Thus it becomes a case of how frequently you want to put sofas in a landfill. That's no exaggeration. A decent sofa was two grand or more twenty years ago!!

I would say get a local designer who can give you access to Thayer Coggin, It will be a much better construction than CB2. Along with the ability to customize sizes to your space, and a wide selection of styling and configurations possible. And it will cost more as well. OUCH. Try not to shoot the brutally truthful messenger : )

http://www.thayercoggin.com/   

Have you contacted the Better Business Bureau? Custom is custom and fraud is fraud. You have it in writing that it is custom and it is not- that is fraud. I would not allow her to continue to work on your home- she is dishonest, contact the BBB with a complaint, file in small claims and inform her that you are doing all of the above- if she is smart- she will refund your money

I have a sleeper sofa I bought for under $1000 20 years ago. We use it everyday. It has been recovered once.

Twenty years ago.............is NOT 2016. Period. That is part and parcel the entire issue. You new car does not cost what it did twenty years ago, but everyone would like to pay 2k and down for a sofa. You get what you pay for, and it is virtually NADA. @2k

The contract is very simple three items. Doesn't mention anything about hourly rates. She uses the retainer to research and make the plans everything else we pay goes towards furniture. I hired a designer because I don't know the market and I didn't want to go out shopping for stuff. I interviewed other designers besides her and they wanted hourly fees and would shop for me at furniture retails and I didn't hire them cause that's not what I wanted. When I interviewed her. She presented herself as a professional designer that does custom furniture. I gave her my budget and she said it's doable. It is not my mistake she said it's doable. I don't know who she works with in terms of vendors. She said she gets good deals on furniture and fabric so she can put something together.

I have proof it is from wayfair. I will contact her today and see what she says about it although I am sure I'm not going to get anywhere.

Thank you all for the advice

sara, you have every right to feel duped. I would think and feel the same as you. Your expectations were clear. she was not. The real thing that irks me is her mark-up of the wayfair items. If she paid 1000 for the sofas and charged you 3000, then that's ridiculous. All together, what was the cost of the items you received? Did they all come from Wayfair? if you tally up everything, what is her take or percentage? u gave her 8K. does your furniture total add up to 6200? her take would be 1800 or 20%, which is more than generous. That's what you need to confirm. you getting 4 or 5K in actual furnishings and her taking a 3-4K cut is robbery. That's when I would threaten her with small claims court.

How did you pay her? If you used a credit card dispute the charges and let the credit card company work with you for a resolution. You will need receipts etc. Good luck.

Get a copy of cost of goods sold, if for nothing else household insurance .. im trying to think of ways she has to turn over the receipts.

Sara, I'm sure you're not looking forward to calling and dealing with your 'designer' but don't back down. You may not get your money back and you may not get the satisfaction you're wanting but you'll be acting with courage and conviction. That's important. She may not operate with integrity, but you will know that you do.

I would send her a letter and call her and see what she will do to remedy the situation, then depending on what she does call the Better Business Bureau, even call the town she is licensed in or the Chamber of Commerce, based on those calls make decisions from there. Stand firm.

IDK about that......I have watched million dollar listing and just to stage a home or apartment it cost 10K.....you gave her a retainer......did you sign a contract?

I'm beginning to think that we are living in a society that needs brand names and titles of front our purchases or decor to show off in order to be appreciated for something that isn't ourselves , we must rely on a "Designer" taste because we don't trust our own or to tell our friends and neighbours that we can spend money on designer clothes etc... . Perhaps I went off track for some but do we really need to pay someone to tell us how to live?

If you could find out how much this furniture really costs from the store in question add it all up and then tell us how much it was in total including taxes and delivery then we would know . The retainer fee was extra and that should have covered her expense , my question is what happened to the rest of the money ?

spoken as a true individualist Genevieve. I think along the way some people have indeed lost their own will and identity and marching to the beat of their own drum is something now unheard of...everyone must conform or you are considered out of sinc.

@Genevieve & 111ideahound I think you guys have a less than accurate idea of what a designer is and does. With a few notable exceptions (Frank Lloyd Wright comes to mind) a designer isn't retained to dictate what your tastes should be. You hire us to take the time to learn about your style, your wants, your needs, how you and yours will live in the space, what's working, what isn't, and so much more. If you can't clearly articulate what you like, we work with you to see what you react to and understand why.

There are two quotes that have defined my business:

1. business is the art of getting people where they need to be, faster than they could have gotten there without you; and
2. the #1 job of a designer is to remove uncertainty from the equation.

That's it. We're not the big evil alien mothership looking to leave a bunch o' pod people mini-me homes in our wake. The goal is to create something that fits YOU.

Honestly, the myriad posts on here asking a hundred strangers to tell them what color is deemed acceptable for their front door? That's relinquishing control and individuality much more than hiring a designer to consult with you.

Next time do some shopping on your own first. Educate yourself online and at different stores. It only takes about 15 minutes to check this designer's FB and webpage out to know whether I would use them to design my home interior. Check their references. Even if you don't have time to do this, shop around.

Remember this ( Everyone's last name isn't Christ)

If you can't afford new quality, then buy used quality and recover. just don't buy crap and expect quality. A $500 5 minute sofa is good for no one but the Chinese company that made it and will sell you another one in 18 months. Meanwhile, you could have bought a $500 Hunter green and burgundy Craigslist find, thrown a slipcover over it, and then gotten it recovered in a yearly time. Then it would last you 15 yarns.

Don't be insulted that we call crap crap. You're only lying to yourself. Buy smarter, not more expensively.

You have a contract. It states certain things. If your "designer" didn't comply with the contract I believe you have a right to sue her in court. It does sound as though she misled you. Certainly you should try and work this out to your satisfaction with her first but if you aren't able to I would certainly take her to court. This is business.

I'm appalled that a number of designers chimed in to say that the homeowner "should have known" that custom furniture couldn't be had for those prices. Not everyone lives in the rarefied world of $5000 couches. If $9500 wasn't going to cover the job as she stated it then the designer should have made this clear to her client. Designers doing business in a professional and ethical manner have an obligation to their clients.

Oh Sophie, I so appreciate your opinions and advice. But there is a big range of furniture between $500 and $10,000. And it's not like reupholstering a sofa is an inexpensive option -- easily $1500, yes? So assuming I bought that $10k sofa used for $3k and spent another $2K to reupholster it, it's still way beyond the budget of most furniture buyers, myself included.

And, BTW, a large percentage of my furniture was purchased used. I haunt consignment stores, Craig's List, antiques stores, estate sales, etc. When I purchase new it's always after careful research. I'm not lying to myself, I'm being realistic about my means and making trade-offs accordingly. That's real life, right?

I really do value your experienced eye and lazer-like focus on design issues here on Houzz. If I ever get brave enough to post a design dilemmas, I'll look forward to your advice. Peace.

Saracharaf, so sorry for your experience with a Designer. I had to junk a lot of the stuff a designer bought for me a few years ago ($5000). When you contacted other designers before hiring the one you chose, what was the response of the other designers to your project and budget?

OP, I'm sorry that you are going through this. We were quoted less than 3k for an American made sofa recently but ended up spending more by going with a couch from Baker's Milling Road collection (a more modern and less expensive line). I would be really upset to have any so-called designer source from Wayfair without disclosing that upfront.

Before I started furnishing our home, I would have assumed it cost a lot less to decorate a space and let's face it designers always try to sell you on how they will save you time and money. I would be upset and looking into suing, leaving online reviews, and credit card chargebacks.

111ideahound thank you :) I'm glad that you understood what I meant .

Revolutionary Garden, l know what the job of a designer is and does , I respect the profession don't get me wrong !

I know that spending other peoples hard earned money is always easier, unless there is a magic money tree in the yard .

Sometimes it's good not to tell them your budget, just shop around and get bids first. Just let them talk and read between the lines, eventually you can tell that their full of the brown stuff.

A Designer should show you the items (photo or in store), reveal where the item will be purchased and what the cost is (and shipping if any). Then, the budget may be adjusted if necessary to get what the client wants.

has the OP replied yet?

BTW Wayfair is not retail. You designer will get a trade price with wayfair on many different brands. I'm not surprised she found you all that furniture on wayfair ,but as others have said, choosing just the fabric does not make something custom. I hope you have spoken to the designer and seen all of the invoices showing you the price she paid. You didn't need to pay a designer to purchase items on Wayfair. If you are paying her hourly, why is she also getting a percentage of what you are buying as her profit?

Sara what happened to you is your opportunity to get this so called, designer off the streets so she won't harm anyone else. Do everything you can to have her stopped. You definitely have a legal case. IF you take the time to take her down in court, she won't do it again, believe me. Just the threat of being taken to court, will be enough for her to take everything back she ordered from you and to return your money--all of it even the retainer's fee.

All of the above and let the designer know you will be voicing your experience via Houzz, Yelp and Google reviews.

@111ideahound----I think that would only apply had she named the designer.

yes, definitely.