Natuzzi is considered to be low to mid-quality. It does not have a good reputation for durability or performance over time.

I had looked all over also. Hit same places as friend. I don't know if anything is made in the US anymore. Just purchased schillig which has springs and I believe is excellent quality. Macy's does carry a few styles by this manufacturer. So does Maurice Villency for a lot more money.

There are plenty of high quality makers in the USA. Go to a real furniture store rather than a department store.

Thank you for your repsonses. I would like to have as much "ammunition" as possible when we speak with him. His GF, my DH and I are on the same page, but it will be up to him to actually do something about it. If he decides to keep it, we've told him not to come crying to us when it starts falling apart....I know, pretty heartless ;o), but considering we're giving him facts I would hope he listens.
Anyone else want to weigh in?

The Natuzzi brand I believe is still made in Italy. Yes it was a stock piece. Custom orders take months to arrive. Yes, months. Permanently attached cushions is how Natuzzi's are made - and Schillig, and many other contemporary styles. Natuzzi uses webbing instead of steel springs. No leather seat cushions can be flipped. HTH

Some of them are bonded leather also. Never heard of it and came home and googled it. It is scrap leather bonded together.

It really depends on how much he wants to pay for furniture and how long he wants to keep it.

I know he paid a few thousand for the sofa and loveseat, and that was "on sale". His GF said it was a lesson in frustration because he didn't go out with a clear-cut vision of the style or color he wanted. He just knew he wanted leather and that was it....no discussion. I think it's because he had leather in his previous set, and it's easier looking at 2-3 swatches of leather than hundreds or even thousands of swatches of textiles.
I have a feeling he's going to stick with what he has. We were discussiong it this evening, and if he were to return it, Bloomingdale's would charge a re-stocking fee and a pick-up fee. The delivery fee was almost $200, which would mean he'd have to pay an additional $200 plus a hefty re-stocking fee. And we're not talking a custom order, simply a find-it-in-the-warehouse-and-ship-it-out-the-next-week selection. They really know how to make a customer happy. Not.

My Natuzzi leather sofa and recliner still looks like new even after 10 years with pets.

I know he paid a few thousand for the sofa and loveseat, and that was "on sale".

What are you saying... he should have paid a few hundred? Maybe $15 or $25?

His GF said it was a lesson in frustration...

This is how men, especially single men, shop.

Bloomingdale's would charge a re-stocking fee and a pick-up fee.

If you spent a couple thousand for a TV or high-end appliance at Best Buy they would also charge you to pick it up and return it. The loosey goosey return policies of 10 and 15 years ago are long, long gone.

Haven't you seen the articles about how stores are tracking your returns (especially clothing stores but also Target) and will arbitrarily deny you a return for an unopened or unused item if they think you've been returning too often? This has been in the news for about two years I think.

The item is no longer new and it costs money to send a truck out, and in this economy this is the way it is.

They really know how to make a customer happy. Not.

It sounds like he was happy until he was convinced he shouldn't be...

My goodness mr. gator....you're sounding a tad prickly..

I certainly didn't say he should pay $15 or $25 for the set. That would be ludicrous and I'm not an idiot. DH and I just purchased a sectional and spent months researching exactly what we wanted. We are willing to pay good money for that piece of furniture because we want it to last a long time. We know how it's constructed, from the frame to the cushions to the fabric. Now, our friend didn't do the research and he should have, but when he asked us what we thought about his purchase, we're not the type of friends who will say, "Oh, that's great, beautiful pieces, well made, yadayadayada." You ask, we're honest. He asked because he was having doubts.

He wasn't happy from the get-go but was getting increasingly tired, frustrated and confused by the whole "shopping experience". He just wanted to buy furniture, not have to dissect, investigate, research. Okay, maybe that's the way "men shop", but after speaking with him, we found that he's really not too thrilled with his purchase. Should he be stuck with a purchase he's not satisfied with? I don't think so. We didn't convince him he had "buyers remorse", he did that himself.
And as far as a hefty re-stocking fee, some companies do and some don't. And, shocking as it may seem, some stores don't charge a delivery fee, even if you live 98 miles away. Ask me how I know.

The reason I don't think Bloomingdale's gives a rat's patootie if their customers are happy is because I still believe that salespeople, wherever they work, should know their product and be willing to explain, in detail, the construction and quality of whatever they're selling. It's better to have an informed and educated customer, one who will spread the word about how competent you are and how good the company you work for is, than have a bunch of mediocre salespeople who are only employed by a company because they're upright, breathing and fill a spot on the salesfloor...."Any job, big or small, do it well or not at all."
Just my humble opinion.

Thank you, coolspot. I noticed on our friends Natuzzi pieces the Natuzzi symbol that is attached to the bottom of the side end (towards the front leg). It's a slim oval metal 'tag' with the "Natuzzi" logo spelled out. According to your information, they are the Natuzzi Editions line, made in China.

I was ready to jump for a Natuzzi leather pillow-armed sofa and loveseat at Raymour and Flanagan yesterday; however, my better judgement grabbed me and urged me to curb the impulse. Cruising this site, I have had my eyes opened to much about sofa purchases. Lots of Natuzzi must be made in China now. I would think all Natuzzi that Sears carries would be China-made. How much should I expect an Italian-made Natuzzi leather ( using the best grade of leather) 3-cushion (~90" long)sofa cost, on average , in USA?
Also, what's the lowdown on the Pirelli seat webbing under the Natuzzi cushions? That webbing totally replaces traditional springs. What could the webbing do that springs don't? Of course, the Raymour and Flanagan salesman raved about the webbing. Thank you, in advance.

Men typically are impatient buyers, as a group they want to get in and out of a furniture store as fast as possible. They also tend to buy whatever the salesperson tells them is a good item, rather than doing their homework and LEARNING how to differentiate good pieces from those that won't hold up.

Women buyers are usually much more concerned about the price, but know and are willing to learn about the quality differences.

The real key, of course, is to find a store or dealer who you can trust to tell you the truth. When you do find them, consider them a valuable resource for purchases, then buy the best you can afford at a given time.

There is no secret to making high quality furniture any more than there is to making good pie. If you want the best, you have to have the best and most costly ingredients. If you make a pie to a price point, then its not going to have all the right things in it, will it? Same with furniture.

Ten years ago when Leather Center was in business I would have customers walk out because our sofas had steel springs. Sounds ridiculous, right? Leather Center convinced all these people that steel was bad because it squeaked, rusted, collapsed, etc. It was like I was trying to convince them the world was round..... 600 years ago.

Does anyone know anything about how well the Pirelli seat webbing works as opposed to springs? The Natuzzi sofas I have looked at have Pirelli seat webbing (looks like seatbelt strips that are woven in over-under fashion) instead of springs. Cushions are high-density foam. Couch feels very comfortable, but I'm leary about the absence of springs.

After I submitted the 3/12/09 post, I discovered another thread (is that the correct term?)on this Furniture Forum that discussed webbing vs springs. It seems that maybe Pirelli webbing _covers_ the springs, but I don't understand how that would work. Besides, when a salesman at Raymour and Flanagan turned a Natuzzi loveseat over so I could see the webbing, that's what I saw.....the webbing. It was underneath the dust cover, which means it was _under_ the springs, if there were springs. I wasn't looking for springs, since I understood the salesman to say that the webbing replaces the springs. I
I desperately need a new sofa, but am really befuddled. Who can help me with the webbing vs springs issue in Natuzzi, or any furniture?

It's my understanding that the webbing replaces the springs and is not in addition to the springs. I don't know about your Raymour and Flanagan, but the one in our area does not have salespeople who a) know their merchandise, b) care about customer satisfaction, c) offer alternatives and suggestions. While on my quest shopping for a sectional I wandered in to our local Raymour and Flanagan (something I will never do again as long as I breathe), and was immediately tailed by a sales person, asking if she could help me. When I gave a detailed description of what I was looking for, including the construction and the country it was made in, she raised her eyebrows and said that there was nothing in the store that would fit my criteria. I was incredulous because the store is the size of a football field and has two floors. When I told her that I was surprised that there was not one sectional that would fit the bill in a store that size, she basically shrugged her shoulders and said that she "knew her merchandise" and indeed, there was not one thing. Okay, how about a catalog that I could look through? Ummm, nope. It was basically, "sorry I can't help you". I don't think their sales staff is sorry and I don't think they care about customer satisfaction. I do think they care about a quick sale (after all, they can deliver your furniture in 3 days), and I don't think they know what to do with an educated consumer who knows what they're looking for and what they're talking about. Also, most of their furniture is made "overseas", which translates into China and Asia. When I asked her what a particular piece was made of, as far as wood, she said, "Asian hardwood". Okay, where's it made? "Overseas". Overseas as in where? "China or Asia. But the quality is excellent". Really? No thanks.

The gold standard in the construction of upholstered furniture is the 8-way hand-tied spring. Its expensive to do, not only because to do it properly requires springs of different tensions to be set into the nylon deck, but its laborious to hand-tie and knot the strings eight times on each spring (and to truly knot instead of loop requires many extra hand movements = time). Everything other than that method is an attempt to produce a piece that rivals the comfort of the 8-way hand-tied spring system at a cheaper price.

I'm going back to pie. The above is the hand-rolled, scratch-made crust. We all know that the crust of a pie is the very essence. Pirelli Webbing is the frozen pie crust you buy in the grocery store. Is it good enough? Maybe...depends on how good you want your pie?

"I'm going back to pie."

Collector ~ Is that because you know most of the participants on GardenWeb are women LOL ;o) It's a great analogy and one that I can definitely relate to.

During our quest for the "perfect" sectional, I knew exactly what I wanted. I researched, researched, researched, shopped around in local stores, Googled up a storm, asked questions and tried to be as proactive as possible. I also knew what we could afford, which was an important part of the equation. I wanted to get the most bang for our buck and knew that with a little persistence it would be possible. American made, bench made 8-way hand-tied springs, solid hardwood construction, a myriad of upholstery fabric choices, and excellent warranty.

Just so you know...I make my pie crust from scratch and use only fresh ingredients for fillings. And if I'm making apple pie and I don't have fresh apples, I use my own homemade canned apple pie filling. I put up at least 24 quarts every fall ;o)

You sound like my kind of person, mrsmrv! I am a lady who always loved researching (and baking from scratch.....most of the time). Now I am researching sofas. Have just begun the process this week. Have not bought a sofa in 24 yrs, so am having to learn prices, construction materials, etc all over again because I think quality has declined and can't help but know that alot of jobs have been outsourced to China.
Your experience at Raymour and Flanagan mirrors mine. I will not go back except to see if the more expensive leather sofa I didn't look at was an Italian-made Natuzzi. Also, am going to locate the label on the frame of the sofa I was almost going to jump for for the style of Natuzzi label because I'm now wondering if it was made-in-China Natuzzi. I'm looking for a quality leather 90" sofa, but probably cannot afford high-quality unless the financing options are good. Next I'll travel a bit and explore some 8-way hand-tied spring sofas. Reasarch, research!
Thanks, Furniture Forum!

I just bought the Natuzzi (Italia - U) Malcolm sofa in leather. It was a showroom sample and a *fair* deal overall...the leather isn't perfect but it is very comfortable and the electric recliner is very smooth. Bloomies should carry only furniture with the "U" symbol. If they don't, then they are no longer striving for top-of-the-line from their manufacturers.

To play the devil's advocate, I could also see how one might get frustrated especially with the lower-line models...

I just bought the Natuzzi (Italia - U) Malcolm sofa in leather. It was a showroom sample and a *fair* deal overall...the leather isn't perfect but it is very comfortable and the electric recliner is very smooth. Bloomies should carry only furniture with the "U" symbol. If they don't, then they are no longer striving for top-of-the-line from their manufacturers.

To play the devil's advocate, I could also see how one might get frustrated especially with the lower-line models...

I think Natuzzi's focus is styling, good tailoring and nice leathers. The methods they use to construct their furniture is more typical of European manufacturers rather than traditional American techniques.

Purchased a Natuzzi Editions set about 4 weeks ago from Scan Design in Lynnwood WA. We were very skeptical given the reviews posted here.

We checked and confirmed the set was manufactured in China. We know that 'made in China' is not necessarily a bad thing but it is important to understand to what quality standard the manufacturing was requested.

After 4 weeks, we couldn't be happier. The set is beautifully crafted with soft real leather all around. We removed part of the covering on the bottom of the sofa to assess the construction. There is a mix of hardwood plywood, masonite and some pine. Seems to be well engineered and optimized for a solid construction and long life...hardwood where hardwood needs to be, pine where pine needs to be.

We think it says a lot that Natuzzi is willing to put their name on the side of the couch. In our multi-week shopping experience we learned that many retailers sell sofas without a clear manufacturer listed.

We recently noticed that we have another set in our living room that is also Natuzzi (actually made in Italy). We didn't pay attention to the brand when we purchased it about 10 years ago. It has been one of the best purchases we've made. We're glad to see the tradition continue.

This post was edited by gehlenv on Tue, Nov 5, 13 at 10:20

We purchased a Natuzzi set for our finished basement/home theater a few years ago. As the delivery men began bringing the furniture into the space, I could tell that it wasn't going to stay. Each piece had some sort of defect. I'm not talking minor, either. I'm talking furniture construction as well as material imperfections. I refused delivery and sent it all back. Two subsequent attempts to deliver were just as disappointing. Persistence paid off and we were able to cancel the order. We took our money elsewhere and were very pleased with the results. I cringe when I hear the word Natuzzi.

Were all these horror stories with made in China Natuzzi or made in Italy Natuzzi or both?

I was going to purchase a set of couches that the owner claims are Natuzzi Italia and they are beautiful white leather couches. However, before purchasing, I noticed this logo on the side. This doesn’t look like a Natuzzi logo. Does anybody have an idea of what it might be?

I don't, but if you like them and the price is right, why not get them?

I have a Natuzzi sofa that I purchase over 25 years ago, it still looks brand new. I purchased through special program. I waited on it for six months, direct from Italy. It is by far the best quality sofa I have ever owned but I hear that some of the newer models is lacking in the quality department. It could be that they are the Chinese products and not the true Italian craftsmanship we would expect.

I have a Natuzzi sofa that I purchase over 25 years ago, it still looks brand new. I purchased through special program. I waited on it for six months, direct from Italy. It is by far the best quality sofa I have ever owned but I hear that some of the newer models is lacking in the quality department. It could be that they are the Chinese products and not the true Italian craftsmanship we would expect.

randystover…..i was hesitant to comment earlier in this thread because of the age of my sofa! My leather Natuzzi sofa was bought in 1999 and we’re still enjoying it!! The thickness of the leather and the fact that you can rub out scuffs and light scratches with your hand has been instrumental in oir sofa making it thru 2 children, 3 cats, 1 dog and now 7 grandchildren!! I’ll definitely buy another leather natuzzi sofa, but will definitely do my research to make sure we buy the Italian made sofa like we currntly have. For information purposes for others, our sofa does not have springs, is extremely comfortable (still!) and the leather is thick with no shine. It has aged beautifully! This sofa is in our family room where it’s been used daily!