http://www.barileatherfurniture.com/products/belagio.htm

And finally, this customer demanded that we pay him $75 dollars as 'compensation' for his 'sufferring' or he would spread bad things about us all over the internet. Regrettably, we mailed him the check...not to stop bad things being said about us but quite frankly, to end his constant emails and calls. The same day we promised the check; he posted this. You be the judge.

If you would like to see testimonials from actual customers who have purchased from us, please visit our site. Some of them have even left email addresses(optional on their part) to contact them if you so desire.

Their dates of purchase and delivery seems to make sense, but see what Bari considers delivery is the day it leaves their warehouse not the date in which it gets to you which was my exact issue for writing this blog (they claim 4-6 weeks). It did leave Bari on 03/05/06 however was delivered on 03/26/07 to me. Only after having been told I would receive delivery between 03/06/07-03/16/07 and never receiving any phone calls telling of delays.

I realize things happen however it was their horrible follow up to an entirely awful experience that set me off. I spoke to a man claiming to be an "owner" and he seemed to emulate the same type of mantra of once it leaves our warehouse we have done everything we can do, that made me decide to write this blog. Please understand I have never written a blog in my life. I believe however a company that does do a great job of taking credit all over their website on these "great experiences" and markets to the internet should still be responsible for thier product and process. If they make their livelyhood on people that buy this way then they have a responsibility.

What Bari failed to tell you is that when they found I had voiced my frustration on this blog they cancelled the check of the supposed ransom of "75.00". I too have copies of all those emails from Bari if you would like to see copies. There website does not post these types of responses only the ones they want you to see. I would love them send you the paperwork showing the dates in which I received the furniture just ask it is a click away. I am sure they won't reply to this because the next post I will have the waybill showing the entire delivery process (we will see who is making false statements).

In terms of home direct usa being Bari's shipping service Bari's repsonse to their delays I believe whent something like this....it's like a great restaurant you have been going to for years and then all of a sudden it just goes down hill..... They furthered to say they were cancelling the home usa delivery service for their customers but were waiting until some of the orders in their system completed. Either way the furniture I have is nice I make no bones about it, my advice is that as long as things go just right then fine you would be happy it seems, but if anything happens, damage, delivery or otherwise just remember Bari didn't do it and will do nothing to take ownership!!!!!!!

Everything happened as was promised. His furniture was delivered in perfect condition in the time promised and he loves it. If he had damage, our claims specialists wuld have resoleved it as everything ships insured but of course, his furniture was perfect and he loves it.

In regards to our eBay feedback: 20% make specific reference to our fast shipping, 10% feel it was a little slow and 70% are satisfied. Ironically, we don't deserve the credit for the fast shipping. Sometimes freight companies move faster than normal. And sometimes (about 10% of the time) they move a few days slower. In this customer's case, they moved a little slower.

What we believe is that there was a misunderstanding about shipping times that we were never given the chance to correct because he would not return our communication to resolve. We also believe he will continue to be mad at us no matter what we say or do.

We are happy to know that although he will not communicate with us directly, he is very happy with his furniture. We have all had difficult customers in our lives and he has been one for us. We did everything we could, within reason, to make him as happy as any other customer. And while he will most likely always find fault with us and continue to write about how he was wronged, we are happy to know that he got great furniture at a great price and he acknowledges it.

First, to clear up a small discrepancy, her order did not arrive 10 weeks late. She placed her order on 7/11/07 for a set that takes 8-10 weeks to ship which means it should have shipped by the week of 9/20/07. When we discovered there was going to be a delay she was notified and her set shipped two weeks later than promised. We have full documenation available upon request.

Back to the problem; The issue arose from a VERY rare defect that can happen with full aniline dyed leathers. This problem is so rare that this was the first we had seen in over 9 years. This was further complicated by the fact that there was some question as to whether or not this was caused by the consumer.

Once we determined that this was a defect, we took care of everything as quickly as possible. We, like she, wish this had gone better and more smoothly, inlcuding the resolution. To be kind, let it suffice that everyone involved could have done a better job to resolve this. No company is perfect, including ours. This was a rare and unique situation and one that we learned from.

They seem to forget about mentioning this fact.

Not good.

The love seat needed some minor repairs: scratched wood in several places and scuff marks in the leather. Since this is my first leather furniture purchase, I was unsure about the natural imperfections/markings of the leather and real damage.

Bari rates their leather on a scale from 1 to 5 with the highest number signifying a natural leather appearance (without correction of imperfections/markings) and the lower numbers a corrected appearance for a more consistent leather look. Mine was a 2. Bari states that the ratings don't indicate quality, just the degree of correction. The leather quality is the same whether it's a 1 or a 5 rating.

After notifying Bari by phone and email of some minor damage, I got an email response. In a nutshell, I got ping-ponged between Bari and the shipping company as to who was going to coordinate the repairs. This proved only to be a miss communication between the shipping company and Bari and not them trying to weasel out of making the repairs.

The repairs were done, except for one area that they missed but that could pass as a natural look of the leather, although it does bother me a bit.

The furniture itself is very attractive and of very good quality, so all in all I'd certainly buy from them again. I really felt somewhat uncomfortable making a larger purchase over the internet, not having seen the furniture and not knowing how customer service would respond if there were problems. It's only because I read many positive reviews that I decided to make the purchase.

Because of the internet, consumers can post reviews of not only their purchasing experience but also their customer service experience, too. Therefore, companies must excel in both areas if they want to be successful. Sometimes, as in my case, the product is received damaged. Things happen! How the company responds is crucial. If the company takes ownership of the problem and communicates with the customer throughout, then the customer won't feel cheated. What was initially an unpleasant experience (damaged product) turns into a positive one because of how the problem was handled.

Did I say that I'm satisfied with the quality and appearance of my Bari furniture!

http://www.barileatherfurniture.com/furniture-collections-1/san-miguel-61/san-miguel-231.html

1) Check up on the company and it's customer service policies.

2) Use a credit card so if problems arise and you can't get a good response from the vendor you always can have the card company to fall back on.

Good luck

Try not to blindly purchase furniture online without having seen or touched the product in person. Visit a local retailer, or find out the manufacturer and research the quality of product. Would you buy a car or a house without actually looking at it in person? Furniture shouldn't be any different.

I had nothing short of an excellent experience with Bari Leather. Their sales associate on the phone was very friendly and answered all of my questions. I was told my order would arrive in 6-8 weeks. Instead it took only 2 weeks.

The quality of my new leather sofa is amazing too. But most important, I knew exactly what I was buying. I did all my research beforehand by visiting a local retailer and then looking up the manufacturer online. No one's prices compared to Bari's either. Macy's was selling it for twice the cost!

I am not in any group, nor do I work for a competitor. Bari Leather, in my experience, lies. It is your decision whether or not to do business with them. I chose not to and am still having problems.

Lou even had the nerve to say that 6 weeks ago my credit card company did not process the credit Bari was trying to give me. The paperwork indicates that nothing was filed with American Express. Did Lou think he was going to abscond with my money? I think not.

Thankfully, my credit card company will handle it. However, my husband, 2 sons and my daughter-in-law are all lawyers. I believe the bases are covered.

By the way, I do not represent another company, nor do I work for another competitor, I am just a buyer. No one put me up to this. This is the dishonesty of Bari Furniture.