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cschultz1_gw

Lumber liquidator butcher block counter top fiasco

cschultz1
10 years ago

Just went to pick up my lumber liquidator 12 foot maple butcher block countertops (bbc) ($360) plus tax, and every joint had a 1/16th to 1/8th gap that was filled with wood filler. Ugliest countertops I have ever seen. When I got my refund they charged me a $72 "restocking fee". I have seen numerouse bbc and these were by far the worst. Even the super cheap Ikea bbc are much nicer than this. There was also a lot of very dark grey and red strips in the bbc that was probably oak. I realize they will not be perfect at this price, but they should at least be nicer than ikea's bbc. Has anyone else had this experience?

Key words:

Ikea vs lumber liquidator, birch, beech, walnut, dark, stain, problems, disappointed, sink, cabinet, farm, kitchen

This post was edited by cschultz1 on Tue, Jan 14, 14 at 15:32

Comments (15)

  • sjhockeyfan325
    10 years ago

    I'm just curious why they should be "nicer than ikea's". I don't think of Lumber Liquidators as being higher end than IKEA, plus IKEA probably has better quality control in place.

  • ajc71
    10 years ago

    Sorry to hear that....you would be much better off with Ikea then Lumber Liquidators

  • _sophiewheeler
    10 years ago

    LL's quality is the pits on everything they sell.

  • Lake_Girl
    10 years ago

    My Ikea oak BB is beautiful! Did you know about the restocking fee? That really stinks.

  • Vertise
    10 years ago

    You shouldn't have to pay restocking on a defective piece. That's not how bb should be constructed. Maybe try going to corporate. Hope you have a photo.

    LL has a terrible reputation (but great sales people). There are separate forums created to handle all the LL problems. Sorry you got mixed up with them.

    Agree Ikea does a good job.

  • boops2012
    10 years ago

    Oh no. I hope you get a satisfactory resolution. I'm planning on using LL butcher block as well so very interested in how this turns out. Can I ask what city?

  • cschultz1
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Newnan, GA

    They were more expensive than ikea, so I thought they would be a little better. Also, i had read that maple was better for butcher block due to the tight grain. If you give me your email, I will send you a pic and then you can post it, my computer is not allowing to attach the file, but I can send pic from my phone.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    10 years ago

    >I remember a post from a few years ago about LL butcherblock being full of internal voids when it was cut.

    Yes, that was Poor Owner's kitchen, IIRC.

    However, in fairness should be said there have been complaints about Ikea bb recently, too, and it appears they are moving mostly to a horrid particle-board-wrapped-in-wood product (Akerby). Numerar (the solid BB) is getting pretty hard to find, alas. Grab it while you can.

  • nosoccermom
    10 years ago

    Send their corporate office (attn.: CEO) a friendly letter asking for a reimbursement of the stocking fee, and include the picture. Tell them you hope this can be resolved; otherwise you'll report them to BBB, your county's consumer affairs, and if all fails, take them to small claims court (depending on how much the filing fee is).

    Here is a link that might be useful: small print at LL

    This post was edited by nosoccermom on Tue, Jan 14, 14 at 18:11

  • sixkeys
    10 years ago

    Great advise so far. If you paid with a credit card, I would also start a complaint process through them. Most cards have consumer friendly policies.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    10 years ago

    The saddest thing about the fill in the picture is that it is completely avoidable. They didn't use the proper saw blade for crosscutting or didn't support the piece as it was cut or both. Tear-out is something you learn about in 8th grade shop class.

  • live_wire_oak
    10 years ago

    "Tear-out is something you learn about in 8th grade shop class."

    Yeah, but I don't think they have 8th grade shop class in China.

  • Vertise
    10 years ago

    What a joke. Consumer Affairs?

  • juliekcmo
    10 years ago

    I would wonder if that counter in that condition would even be food-safe?

    Go to the John Boos website to read about NSF rated hard rock maple butcher block (it's awesome) to get some background info to base your complaints to LL.