Child Craft/Legacy hit by flood, damage delays shipments

[alandenisefields]

Hi folks: You may remember seeing the news about storm damage in Indiana over the past weekend. It appears crib maker Child Craft was hit hard by the storm; below, please find a statement from the company that was just emailed to us.

If you have ordered a Child Craft or Legacy crib, check with your retailer regarding delivery.

Alan & Denise Fields
authors, BABY BARGAINS

----
Statement from Child Craft


Dear Mr. & Mrs. Fields,

It has been brought to my attention that there are postings that are
beginning to appear on your web site questioning what has happened at Child
Craft. In the aftermath of our flood, it hadn't occurred to me to let you
know what had happened to us. We've been trying to communicate to our sales
reps and dealers and have just posted the news on our web site, so I'm
sorry that I didn't contact you sooner.

Last Thursday night a series of storms and tornados caused severe flooding
in Southern Indiana. The lower levels of our plant and offices were covered
by 3 to 6 feet of muddy water. The water has receded, but the mud remains.
Our phone systems have been knocked out and the only communication that we
have is our email for now. They are working on getting some phones up. We
are in the midst of a large scale clean up that will take a few weeks. We
lost a lot of inventory and parts and are trying to put a plan in place to
be able to let everyone know when we will be able to fill orders and answer
calls. It may be another week before we can do that. I want you to know
that we will fix this and be back as strong as ever. We are committed to
serving our customers and will begin doing so again as quickly as possible.
If you would please convey our intentions to your subscribers and readers
it would be greatly appreciated. Their loyalty, support and patience is the
most important thing right now.

Sincerely,
George Daleo
Vice President of Sales

---

Another update on the Child Craft situation (as of 7-7-04). Things are looking bleak:

http://www.kidstodayonline.com/kidsnewswatch07-06-04e.shtml

Alan & Denise

[Alys the Cat]

Does anyone know of manufacturers with quick turnaround times? I ordered my Legacy crib in March and - according to the store I purchased it from - it was likely a casualty of the recent flood. (They're having no luck getting solid info from Legacy at this time.) While I know this is a horrible situation for the company, I'm due in mid July and it looks like I won't have my furniture in time. Is there a manufacturer who can deliver a crib, dresser and bookcase in a few weeks?
Any help/advice is appreciated!
Thanks,
Christine

[HallsofVA]

I don't know if you're near a buybuybaby or not, but the one by us keeps a lot of models in stock (cribs and case goods) and you can get items the same day.

[Play Pen]

What did you order? With 100 stores in our system, NINFRA can try to help you as we have been helping others because of this tradegy.

[Alys the Cat]

I live in southeast Florida, and - unfortunately - there are no Buy Buy Baby stores in our area.
We had ordered three Legacy pieces - a bookcase, a combi dresser and crib #16761 in natural. The bookcase and dresser are already in our retailer's warehouse, so only the crib is missing. Since I don't want a room of mismatched furniture, I need to either track down the same Legacy crib, or cancel the bookcase and dresser and then place a whole new order with another manufacturer.
Thanks again for your help!
C

[Play Pen]

We have 6 stores in Florida. Go to http://www.ninfra.com/store_locations.asp You may find the crib you need. Good luck.

[Alys the Cat]

Thanks, Philip. As it turns out, I placed my original order with one of your stores (Baby Love). They have not been able to get through to Legacy yet, but are hoping to have some news by Wednesday.
C

[swan01]

I went to Great Beginnings in Maryland on Saturday and they were selling all their floor models 20% off because they said they were temporarily going to stop carrying Legacy and ChildCraft. Unfortunately, my husband was out of town, or I would have probably would have bought something.

I went to Baby-2-Teen yesterday and asked if they were selling their floor models also. They said that they heard from Legacy on Saturday evening and that they are estimating that they lost about 30% of their stock (vs. the original estimate of 75%) and that their equipment is all running. They said that they will have a final list of items that will be slow to order tomorrow or Wednesday. SO, he said that it would be a HUGE mistake for them to sell their floor models and Legacy is currently back up to estimating 10 weeks for delivery.

Of course, they could just be trying to make a sale, so I am going to call them on Wednesday to make sure.

[california_sales_girl]

Sorry to be a cynical, but the chance of a factory calling a local retailer on Saturday night, just after they were devastated with flooding, is very slim. Childcraft/ Legacy was running 10-14 weeks for delivery before the disaster. How can they clean up the damage, resupply their lumberyard and start production, and manufacture and ship all their products in normal time?? It just doesn't seem realistic. We also sold our floor models off to cover past orders here in California. Floor space is valuable. We need it to sell goods, and manufacturers need to retain it to keep their products on the retail floors. Ultimately, it is the retailer you call up and scream at when your crib is not in, not the manufacturer that is delayed. Just be realistic in your expectations. Legacy is an excellent product. It's just hard to believe that they will be able to get up and running and ship all their products in 10 weeks.

[Alys the Cat]

I'm still trying to get ANY information on the status of the Legacy furniture order I placed in March. I think twelve weeks is a long time to wait for a crib - and that was before the flood hit the factory! Is anyone else in the same boat? Has anyone been able to get an authoritative answer regarding manufacturing and deliveries? My retailer claims to be in the dark.
Thanks,
C

[swan01]

OK - I just called Baby-2-Teen back to double-check (like they told me to do) and was informed that they are NOT taking orders for Legacy and that they are selling their floor models. This is quite the opposite of what they told me on Sunday. So, sorry for the mis-information!

[NYmom2be]

We had ordered Legacy for our 2nd baby at Great Beginnings. They notified us of Childcraft's problem, so we went back to their showroom and they gave us our other options. Great Beginnings claims to have over 800 cribs in stock, so we didn't have a problem finding a crib.We found a Pali crib, and we chose an RT 6 drawer and they quoted 4-6 weeks. So in the end, we might even receive the furniture faster than the Legacy was origionally quoted. I guess it all worked out better in the end.
Best of luck

[kklein]

Is this the Baby-2-teen in Manassas?

[swan01]

Yes, in Manassas. They are now selling their floor models, in case you are interested.

[fulchersc]

I, too, placed an order for a Legacy piece (changing table) back in March through USA Baby. The 8-10 weeks delivery time they quoted me came and went, and I just found out (12 weeks after I placed the order) about the flood. I am a little upset that the changing table wasn't already shipped before this happened, but I am sorry for Legacy/Child Craft's problem. They now tell me it will be 12 more weeks before they can get my piece to me!

I am due in 4 1/2 weeks! I need a cherry changing table with drawers. There are not many stores in Greenville, SC, to shop for floor models - mainly USA Baby and Babies R Us. USA Baby offered to loan me a table until mine got in, but I just want to buy one and be finished (and happy!) with it. I am going to Atlanta on Saturday to search all the baby stores... any suggestions?

[Play Pen]

New Baby Products

[persephone]

Christine, just a thought -- since you don't necessarily need a crib right away, I wonder whether you might still get your Child Craft crib in time? I'm no expert, but I've been told about parents who even use a dresser drawer for a newborn to sleep in! So you might have more time than you think.

Melanie
EDD: 8-26-2004

[Alys the Cat]

Hi, Melanie. You're right about not needing the crib right away -- and my girlfriend has a cradle I can borrow for a few weeks, so I don't have to resort to a drawer. :)

It really comes down to a lack of confidence in the company at this point. I'm a little nervous about taking delivery on the bookcase and combi dresser without having any idea when the crib will get here. I'm also concerned they might ship me a crib that's water damaged. I guess my point is that once I commit to the other two pieces, I'm "stuck" with Legacy.

My retailer, Baby Love, isn't being much help. When I ordered everything on March 23rd, they quoted me a delivery time of six to 16 weeks. That means they have until July 13th (I'm due July 16th) to deliver - and they don't seem amenable to letting me cancel the bookcase and dresser beforehand so I can start from scratch with another manufacturer. They said I can pick an in-stock crib to replace my missing Legacy, but nothing in their store goes with my other furniture. Why should I have to pay $400+ for something I don't really want?

Just frustrated and venting at this point. I know this situation is no one's "fault," but it's the last thing I need to be worrying about right now.

Take care,
C

[Alys the Cat]

Since I've been complaining so much, thought I'd pass on a little good news for a change. My retailer tells me that my crib is fine and will ship within two weeks. That means I should (hopefully!) receive it in early July, just before my due date.
Good luck to the rest of you Legacy mommies waiting on furniture!
C

[persephone]

That's fabulous, Christine! Here's hoping what your retailer says pans out for you.

Melanie
EDD: 8-26-2004

[helaina]

>I went to Great Beginnings in Maryland on Saturday and they
>were selling all their floor models 20% off because they said
>they were temporarily going to stop carrying Legacy and
>ChildCraft...I went to Baby-2-Teen yesterday and...he said that
>Legacy is currently back up to estimating 10 weeks for
>delivery.
>
>Of course, they could just be trying to make a sale, so I am
>going to call them on Wednesday to make sure.

I've been to the Baby-2-Teen in Manassas twice (once this fall and once this spring) and both times I heard a sales associate tellling another associate of a customer complaining that their furniture still hadn't arrived. That place gives me a bad feeling. I live an hour away from them and over an hour away from Great Beginnings, but I think I'll buy my furniture from Great Beginnings and just pay the extra delivery charge. I wanted to tell you that since you shop at both stores too. GB also sends coupons out in the clipper type mailings. I just get a more positive feeling at that store than Baby-2-Teen. Just wanted to share.

[New Baby Products]

What is the number of the changing table you ordered?

[Alys the Cat]

Since no one has posted to this thread in a while, I thought I'd chime in again. It's June 30th and still no furniture. Now my retailer tells me they aren't getting info from Child Craft/Legacy, and have no idea when my crib will ship. Best of all, each time I call for an update, they get progressively more rude. I'm really sad that I won't have my nursery ready in time. :(
C

[persephone]

Oh no! Well I'm still hopeful for you Christine. You never know, I suppose ... it could still work out.

:/

Melanie
EDD: 8-26-2004

[TonFirst]

I'm seriously thinking of ordering that iron crib from Childcraft / Legacy, and the woman at the store I'd buy it from (New Baby Products in Atlanta) assured me that since I'm not due until late Nivember / early December, I'd be fine, but should I reconsider cased on what y'all have heard?

[Play Pen]

If it is in white I have the crib and I will be more than happy to send it to New Baby Products for you. We help each other out all the time.

[jpruyn71]

Hi Christine,

I just started really looking into the whole Legacy/Childcraft thing. I ordered by furniture at the end of April, and in June, my retailer told me that I would be getting it by end of July. I'm due end of August, so I wasn't worried. - til last week.

My retailer called to tell me he had an update of mid August for the crib and mid September for the Dresser. He said that the cribs are made out of the country, so the warehouse only has to be able to accept shipment in order to deliver them. He said that the dressers and such are made at the Indiana location and they were getting approval last week from the health department to begin production again. So, no production since May 27 I guess. However, he did say that he has been receiving shipments (although small and few) from Childcraft.

My retailer also said that the original dates given directly after the flood were only an estimate. The ones I am given now are a better estimate, and he said that he is planning on getting another update from his rep on July 16.

I'm blessed to have a retailer who is working with me, and said that we will explore other options next week. But hopefully the information he has given to me (above) will help you make any decision you need to make.

I hope it works out.

Jennifer
Due: Madelyn on August 26, 2004.

[angusmom]

Here is an article on the Child Craft situation posted at Kids Today Online:

http://www.kidstodayonline.com/kidsnewswatch07-06-04e.shtml

Gives some background about what Child Craft is going through. Seems like a devastating situation for everyone involved - Child Craft, retailers, and consumers. :-(

[bettyboop]

This situation is depressing. I try to buy American when I can (Car, Crib, furniture, mattress, ect). There are already so many cribs (and other products) made overseas. They had enough competition already....Well, Hoosiers are resourceful folks. Lets hope they are able to bounce back and keep more options for products made in America.

[Alys the Cat]

Hi. My thanks to everyone who has offered information and words of encouragement through this post. Just wanted to share the news that Nicholas William was born last Thursday, July 8th, at 2:14 p.m. He's healthy and absolutely gorgeous - everything a mommy could hope for!
Also (on a much less important note now!), all three of my Legacy furniture pieces arrived this week. They are in perfect condition, and Nicholas' nursery is coming together quickly.
Not sure I'd place an order with Legacy today, given all that's happened, but I'm very happy to have finally received my order.
C

[safarimom]

I read this update on the Child Craft Industries website today.

"IMPORTANT NOTICE:


We at Child Craft are taking our usual July Vacation period the first week of July. Clean up crews continue to work throughout this time, repairing motors and machinery that were damaged during the flood at the end of May. We are beginning to receive products from our overseas suppliers. We have even begun to manufacture some product. We hope to be close to normal by August 1st.

Our phone system is still not functioning properly and we hope to have it replaced sometime in mid to late July. Once that has been accomplished, we will reopen our Customer Service Department and start to give you the service that you have been accustomed to in the past.

As part of the flood damage and losses, there are many old style cribs and cases that we will not be able to supply parts for. We are sorry when we have to say that we can't get a part for you, but the older model records and parts were stored on the lower level of the plant and that was covered by water and mud. Current product records are kept in our Engineering Department which, luckily, is located on the second floor of the plant. One of the parts that can no longer be supplied is the metal ball bearing HDI drawer track. HDI has gone out of business and our supply is gone as a result of the flood.

We appreciate you patience as we battle back from this natural disaster.
Child Craft Industries"

[littlemiracle]

dh and i just picked up our Legacy crib this weekend. i had no idea the company had been hurt by a flood. luckily the place i bought it from, BabyBoudoir in New Bedford, MA, had my crib in stock. of course, the salesperson neglected to tell me this back in may when i bought the crib! (a whole other story, the owner of the store ended up giving me a free $80 foam mattress b/c the salesperson was so horrible to deal with). i think mine was a model from last year but they had it in stock in all 3 colors and with tax it was $313.
not sure if they ship but BabyBoudoir has the best selection and prices in the Boston area - i know b/c i looked all over. luckily i found them in the BabyBargains book.

[msmit002]

O.K. Folks....

I know I'm taking a big chance here... But DH and I ordered our ChildCraft Legacy 37101 this weekend. We ordered through Lullaby Baby here in MD. We would have ordered from Great Beginnings, but they have since decided that they will no longer deal with ChildCraft AT ALL.

Lullaby said that they are not only still accepting orderes, but that they (so far) haven't been having trouble with newly placed orders. They did make sure to tell us that they were behind in the shipping (which is why we ordered NOW. I'm not due until Christmas)

Anyway, we'll see how it goes. We only ordered a crib (I have a dresser already) so we'll see if this one, hopefully not too complicated order, gets flled in a somewhat timely manner.

If I had wanted a regular ChildCraft crib (not from the Legacy line) I had plenty of retailers in the area that were willing and able to place an order for me. And they said so far they have seen orders placed after the flood, slated to ship this coming week. But since DH wanted this one model crib, we were limited to where we could order.

So, I'll keep you posted on our order. Lets hope we didn't just make a big mistake, and maybe if this turns out O.K., will help folks if they are considereing ordering a Legacy Crib in the future.

[VAmomof2]

We too were interested in a Legacy crib at Great Beginnings. After talking to our sales person and one of the managers, we decided to go with a Pali crib. They both explained to us that Great Beginnings is taking a "wait and see" attitude toward Legacy. They said they still have orders from the beginning of the year that they are still waiting to arrive from Childcraft and Legacy. They told us they are not accepting any new orders as they are trying to protect the consumer from not getting a crib in a timely fashion. The salesman also told me that the cutting schedule that Legacy keeps sending out is not accurate and that most of their dates keep sliding back.
We made the choice to go with the Pali as we did not want to get in the situation of ordering the Legacy and not having it come in before DS arrives. We were also attracted by Great Beginnings doubling all their furniture warrantees.
I personally am concerned with Legacy's future as I read that they suffered 10 million dollars in losses and only had 1 million in insurance. We figured we did not need the stress of the uncertainty.
Best of luck.

[rupptopia]

Just my 2 cents:
As a former property insurance underwriter, I know how difficult it can be for businesses to bounce back from disaster that they were underinsured for.
The picture on their website shows their plant to be located right on the river. If they only had 1 million in insurance, it is likely they were in a serious flood zone. The 1 million was most likely bought through FEMA's (US gov backed) program and any additional coverage was probably judged too expensive. Because of disasters like this, flood insurance rates can be prohibitively high. (Although in hindsight, probably worth it in this case!)

Looking at their website & the following articles, they seem to be doing all the right things to get back on track - loans & etc. I wish them luck!

Interesting article about Child Craft's situation:
http://louisville.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2004/06/21/story1.html?t=printable

Good news, they got the loan! :)
http://www.claimsguides.com/news/midwest/2004/08/05/44725.htm

Michelle
Chicago, IL
Due October 2nd 2004

[evol1234]

We placed an order for a Legacy crib and dresser in early June, right after the horrible weather hit Salem and Southern Indiana. Our daughter had done extensive research and determined that the Legacy crib was the best fit for their family and our granddaughter who will make her arrival next month. :)
We are most thankful to the folks at Kiddie Kastle in Louisville who contacted the manufacturer prior to placing the order to see whether the needed delivery timeframes could even be met. Kiddie Kastle has kept us well informed of the progress of our order and has delivered the highest quality customer service. We expect to receive our items within the next few weeks and that speaks volumes to me about the recovery efforts of the Salem, Indiana workers.

Although the storms damaged the factory, the company has worked very hard to get back on their feet. Our deepest thanks goes to Kiddie Kastle for their monumental efforts to keep the communication flowing. I highly recommend Kiddie Kastle for anyone who can make the trip to obtain their Legacy (or any nursery) furniture! Thanks for putting KK in your book! It is indeed a hidden treasure about which we would not have known without the Baby Bargains book!

[jenniferl]

Just wanted to give hope to those who are waiting for their cribs- our two Legacy Iron cribs just came in today! It only took about 10 weeks! I think the company has done a great job recovering from the disaster- I wasn't worried about them getting here in time.

[msmit002]

Hello all... (get ready for a long story with a happy ending)

A few weeks ago I posted about my ChildCraft Legacy order. Since I know there is great trepidation about ordering through this manufacturer, I thought I would share my experience. Maybe it will help some of you who would really like to order a ChildCraft or Lagacy crib, but are worried about not having your order filled:

My husband and I had decided that we really wanted the Legacy 37101 - Lifetime Crib N Double. It was the only one we both could agree on. Of course, we made this decision, and then found out about the flood when we went to their website the following day.

As soon as I could get a hold of ChildCraft Industries via telephone, I called them to find out from the horse's mouth just how far behind things were, and what my chances would be to actually procure the crib we wanted. Now, of course, I know that the company was trying to salvage market share, and that their estimates might have been a little overly optimistic, but I wanted to hear what the situation was.

The rep I spoke with said that the model I was considering was one that they could still manufacturr at that point because the equipment needed to make all of the parts were then functioning properly, and they weren't waiting for new manufacturing equipment to make the type/style crib we wanted. Apparently, some of the more inticate woodworking needed different equipment, and some were damaged beyond repair and they needed to get new etc.

Next... We had to decide on our choice of raw material for the crib. Aparently, if we choose one of the iron crib models, that wasn't going to be a problem. Either they had enough raw iron materials to fill orders at that time, or they could get it quickly enough. WHowever, we weren't interested in any of the iron models. So what about a wood crib?

If we choose a hardwood model (oak, maple, beechwood etc.) we could be in for a long wait because apparently just about all of the wood materials in the warehouse was damaged in the flood and not suitable for use any longer. If we chose a hardwood, the wait was longer for two reasons: the raw materials were generally coming in from other countries (such as Canada & Asia) and of course just that delay alone was causing quite a backup. Also, MANY folks order their cribs in hardwoods, and filling the back orders already in front of us (provided they havn't already been cancelled) was a strike against us.

However, if we chose Pine (something readily available in the USA, apparently) this would be no problem because they were getting boatloads of pine in already because it was available and quick to get into the warehouse.

Anyway, this was my understanding of the situation...

So, my husband and I had to make some decisions. At this point I was looking at ordering the crib at the 20 week point in my pregnancy. Certainly enough time to order any type of crib through ChildCraft, if you had faith in what their estimates were, even for Hardwood made cribs. But we wanted to hedge our bets further. We did decide to go ahead and order the Legacy 37101 in Pine with the Chestnut Pine finish. Really, we were set on Maple, but knowing that the backlog would be pretty long (because Maple is a very popular wood of choice for ChildCraft and many of the backlogged orders are indeed in Maple, Oak etc.) AND considering the fact that the dresser we already have for the baby's room is also Pine (my childhood dresser that my father built - it has sentimental value) we decided that would forgo the maple and go ahead and order the crib in Pine.

Next problem, finding a retailer that will actually order the crib for us! If you live in Maryland, and have already looked into this, you probably know that there really are only two Authorized LEGACY retailiers: Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg, and Lullaby Baby in Columbia. Well, many of you know that Great Beginnings is NOT taking any orders AT ALL for ChildCraft Legacy cribs. In fact, they sold off their floor models, so I wonder if they will ever carry the line again. So of course, they were out of the running. Next we went to Lullaby Baby. They too had their doubts about placing any more orders through ChildCraft because so many of their already existing orders were not being filled and that many were being cancelled because of the long delay (and understandably so.) However, we spoke with the manager and explaind what we were told by ChildCraft, and that we were willing to take the chance. We told them that our reasoning was: I had 20 weeks (give or take 2 weeks) to get our crib. We decided on the Pine that was readily available, and that our order (according to ChildCraft) should be filled and shipped in the normal 10-12 week timetable that they have always quoted for years. We said we wanted to place the order, and we would check on our order in 6 weeks to see how it was going. If it looked like it was going to be delayed for ANY reason, we would take it as a red flag and cancel the order for the Legacy. In exchange for their trust in us (and in ChildCraft) we promised that we would order from another manufacturer through Lullaby Baby, so that they weren't out any money (they would just transfer our deposit for our ChildCraft Crib to our new order) and with 14 weeks left, we should still be able to get a crib in time from anotehr manufacturer.

So, that day, August 7, we placed our order with Lullaby Baby in Columbia, MD.

6 weeks later, I called Lullaby Baby to find out if they could get a status for us, so we could decide whether or not to keep the existing order or cancel it. To my surprise, they were going to call me that day! They remembered our 6-week trial deadline, and called for a status on all of their existing ChildCraft orders. And Guess what? Our crib was not only ordered, it was finished! It was due out on the next shipment heading to Maryland!

On Saturday, 9/25, we recieved a call from Lullaby Baby. Our crib had arrived at their store! Our order from start to finish took exactly 7 weeks.

Now, I do not have my crib at my house, just yet. I had to arrange for delivery to get it to my home (it's too big to fit in my Passat) so I will keep you posted on the final outcome when it arrives presumably next weekend.

But I wanted to let you all know. For those of you who are really interested in the ChildCraft or Legacy lines, it pays to ask the right questions, and be prepared to make a small (at least in our eyes) compromise to get what it is you want. The folks at Lullaby Baby have been FABULOUS, and I can't say enough nice things about them thus far. They have provided good customer service from day one.

Also, I have to say, ChildCraft has been wonderful, in being honest with me about what the state of affairs is in their Indiana warehouse. It enabled my husband and I to make a smart consumer choice. And it payed off in spades.

I hope this helps those of you thinking about this line. In my opinion, they really trying to get back on their feet and restore consumer confidence in their products.

[novemberbaby]

I ordered furniture through forever mine (see post below) and to make a long story short canceled the order when they failed to meet shipping dates.

I went to BRU yesterday and was surprised to see a ChildCraft Crib and case pieces on their selling floor. I knew that even though they were hit with recent flooding, their quality was recommended.

I inquired to the assistant manager of the BRU store I was in - and said I wanted to place an order for the ChildCraft furniture - she told me that BRU had just received an email this past week not to sell any more ChildCraft b/c the company had just gone out of business! I told her I was aware of the flood issues - and she agreed that they were in business for a very long time and had excellent products - but something just happened - but she didn't know the details & she was aware of the previous flood issues. She said she could not sell me the merchandise.

I checked the website and there is no mention of this. Did they indeed go bankrupt (as the article dated 7/6/04 says they might)? Does anyone know? I would like to purchase their items but I am afraid because I am too close to my due date already.

[msmit002]

I had my local BRU tell me that 7 weeks ago before I ordered my crib through another retailer.

It just so happens that I was just on the phone with my retailer arranging/confirming delivery of my crib that just arrived and they said they were just on the phone with them yesterday and they made no such mention of that fact. And the retailer was placing more orders with ChildCraft yesterday.

Truthfully, I'm not surprised. I've had employees at large retail chains tell me untruths before when a product was no longer being carried. This sounds no different, IMHO.

[alandenisefields]

No, this is not true---Child Craft is NOT going out of busines or declared bankruptcy. The Babies R Us store employee who told you that was wrong!

Just setting the record straight!

Alan & Denise Fields
authors, BABY BARGAINS

[brooksmom]

They might as well be going out of business. We ordered two room groupings from a local store for my 2 year old and my newborn in February. Childcraft was already late on delivering the furniture when the flood happened in May. My local retailer has been great in keeping us updated by faxing us Childcraft's memos and cutting schedules that relate to our purchase. We have watched as our furniture's manufacturing dates have been constantly pushed back. One group we purchased was cancelled by the factory 4 months after we had ordered it. Now, 8 months after we placed our order, we just received part of our order. Our bookcase has been repeatedly delayed. Childcraft now claims November. That's 9 months after our order.
I totally regret not canceling the order and moving on. The retail stores that are discussed on this board that were not taking orders or issuing warnings were right. Our store also warned us, but we liked the furniture and it is torture getting DH to go shopping. Legacy makes nice furniture but they have been very unrealistically optimistic in their forecasts.
Best of luck to my fellow sufferers.

[novemberbaby]

Thanks for clearing this up. Unfortunately, I can't purchase it now - too close to my due date!

[hellokitty]

My BRU in dublin, ohio also told me childcraft was going out of business when I called to ask. I actually corrected them and said, "no, they are recovering from a major flood." The guy said, "oh yeah, they are not going out of business it is XXXX that is going out business." So, maybe some of the BRU employees are getting two different companies mixed up that were updated on the same memo or something.

[turtledove]

It would be my guess that some of the employees are equating "not accepting new orders" with "going out of business". If they can't sell Legacy/Childcraft, they couldn't care less about the status of the company.

[taylorsbaby]

Hello everyone. Please let me introduce myself first. I am an owner of a baby and juv. furniture store who proudly carries Childcraft / Legacy furniture. I read and heard of the terrible accusations allegedly made by employees of some BRU stores. Please let me tell you what my husband and I saw last week during a visit to the factory belonging to Childcraft Ind. in Salem Ind. We were ready for the worst when we arrived because we saw the pictures on the websites, high water, garbage strewn about and total devastation. What we saw was employees working away building cribs and dressers, staining them and also packing. We had just missed a shipment being loaded on a transport trailer destined for my store. Mind you, there was not as much inventory as we saw three years ago during our last visit, but the atmosphere was incredible and upbeat. It may not be too important to many of you reading this, but as a small business owner and a parent, it actually made my heart skip a beat for the owners and employees of Childcraft. An unbelievable transformation had occurred over the four monthes since the flood and the optimism is justified from what we witnessed. From my family to all of the Childcraft Ind family, congratulations and we know that you will continue to be a leader in the baby and juvenile furniture industry. (P.S. if anyone at Childcraft reads this, I hope that you don't mind that we expressed our opinions based on our visit and from dealing with your fine company) Susan Lidster owner Taylor's Nursery & Playroom