Crib delayed past due date (Ethan Allen)!

[hellosmiletoday]

Hi. I just wanted to get some feedback about the reliability of Ethan Allen's crib shipping.

I ordered one 10 wks prior to my due date, and the expected shipping date was 6 wks. Well, then it changed to 8 wks. Now the estimated date is 1 month after my due date. The store is investigating options...they aren't supposed to let me use the store display, and havent offered my money back (yet), but they are investigating if they can speed up the shipping time, or give us a temporary crib in a different style/color (I dont like this latter option...I dont want another style of crib, even temporarily). I'm getting worried because the shipping time keeps on fluctuating. Is this normal. Does anyone have experience with them.

p.s. the crib was $700!!!

[McQ]

Well I have good and bad news for you. My whole house is full with Ethan Allen furniture and I've had mostly good but a lot of bad experiences too (but obviously not enough bad to make me stop going there :)). While it wasn't my crib, they delayed shipment of my glider for close to 5 months (after excuse, excuse, and excuse) so I was 2 months without a glider after my son was born. They "did every thing they could" to investigate how to speed things up but that turned out to be a load of BS.

Now onto more bad news. The plastic part of my crib's glide rail broke after 8 months of use and it took them over 2 months to repair it. Two weeks ago I talked to the customer service manager (of the NoVa warehouse) to follow up on another repair that's taking them almost 4 months to complete and was telling him about how unhappy I was with the time it took them to repair my crib. Anyway, he told me that the factory where they make the cribs just burned down so they have been unable to fill any crib orders.

I sure hope for your sake that's not the case and that he was just saying that so I felt bad. My best advice is to not stop calling them. Hound them every day. Let them know that this is unacceptable. And ask for a huge discount.

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[hellosmiletoday]

I just want to confirm this...that the factory where they make the cribs burned down...is this the only factory for the US? I'm getting more worried! As you know, with a baby you dont have the luxury of waiting for a crib...What about after he/she outgrows the basinett! They havent even suggested giving me my money back...where do they expect me to put the baby!!! I am definitely NOT ACCEPTING a LONER crib now. I have a matching changing table here that has a defect...I wonder how long it will take them to fix it. I'm starting to wish I never ordered from them.

Thank you for this information. I'm going to be persistant about letting me use the store model or else insist on getting my money back and take back the changing table.

By chance, is there some number where I can call to ask about the burned warehouse...I'm doubtful our store will admit to the problem.


EDIT...I found this...

Ethan Allen: Boonville Plant Closing
Last Update: 4/20/2004 2:29:59 PM


April 20, 2004 -- Despite posting a surge in third quarter profits, the Ethan Allen furniture company has dealt a blow to the Upstate New York economy.

The company has announced it is closing its furniture making plant in the Oneida County community of Boonville. It's also closing a plant in Virginia. The two closings will put 500 people out of work. The Boonville plant makes wood case furniture. The work from the Upstate New York and Virginia plants will be shipped to other Ethan Allen factories in Vermont, North Carolina and Virginia.

The company says the restructuring will save it 12 million dollars.

[california_sales_girl]

If my memory is correct, a company in upstate NY produces cribs for Ethan Allen. This company, El Greco, did have a fire, but it wasn't as devistating as Ethan Allen is leading you to believe.
http://www.elgrecofurniture.com/catalog.html
Which crib did you order? I can probably tell you which other manufacturer has a crib which looks similar.

[hellosmiletoday]

The sleigh crib in vanilla, with a matching dresser (that I was planning to use as a changing table).

[neosr]

Sorry to hear about your situation.

In case you were seeking an alternative crib, I can recommend a sleigh Ragazzi crib that is somewhat similar to the EA one. It's sorta new and not yet on their website so I've added a photo attachment of ours. I've seen it retail over $700 but you can negotiate it down to the mid-$500's. BTW, we received ours in less than 4wks.

Also, you might want to consider the Bellini Vanessa crib:
http://www.bellini.com/eastcoast/baby3.htm
But it retails somewhere between $900 to $1,000.

Anyways, I hope things work out very soon for you. Best wishes.

[McQ]

I don't know if it's the only factory but it's what the guy lead me to believe. Said that the plant burned to the ground. El Greco sounds about right from the return address on my crib parts. I can check when I get home. Declan's nursery is from the Country Colors collection so I don't know if that makes a difference. We use the dresser as the changing table too.

The number for the NoVa warehouse is 703-661-6050 and the customer service manager is Tom (option 6, option 6). Sorry but I don't have a main number or know if he can help.

As I said I have a house full of EA stuff and usually it's ok. But when I've had a problem with them it's always been a PITA to resolve. And I don't mean to be so negative, this is just a sore spot with me. Especially as when I called this morning I got the run around 1) my coworker didn't leave me a message and then 2) the factory has a virus and can't check their system. Sounds a lot like the dog ate my homework. It always does.

But don't let up. Don't take no for an answer. Tell them this is unacceptable. If you still want the crib hold your ground, tell them what you want and make them stick to it. And don't just talk to who you ordered it from ~ go straight to the store manager. I'm big on accountability and if person A can't help you, ask them who can. Someone has to be in charge. I'm so so sorry you're going through this.

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[lag555]

I don't know if they'll do this, but why don't you ask them to either pay for a bassinet or to at least take $75 off the price of the crib so that you can buy a bassinet? That will give you a few months leeway for them to supply you with the crib. And they might be more likely to do that than give you your money back (which they probably won't do at all) and it might even be more likely than having them give you an arbitrary discount.

Aggie

(Sorry if this didn't make sense. For some reason, I am not being very coherent today.)

[hellosmiletoday]

Update....after speaking to manager, they are going to give us the store model to use until the new one comes in. I talked to the El Greco company who did confirm the fire but said they are shipping out cribs next week, which correlates with the updated shipping time that Ethan Allen just gave us (four wks ...since the crib has to travel from factory to warehouse and so on). It seems like the crib delay is rare and that usually Ethan Allen furniture comes in on time. The manager was very nice and willing to help us out.