Reader Thomas M. wrote in with a complaint about furniture maker Baby Appleseed. We have asked the company to respond but have not heard back yet.

To whom it may concern,

In February of this year, we purchased a Millbury Chestnut crib, a combo dresser, a matching hutch, and a set of adult rails.  We made this purchase knowing that the due date for our son was not until August 3rd.  We picked up the set from Crismon’s Baby Boutique, in Mesa, Arizona in the middle of May, knowing that we would have plenty of time to prepare the room for our first child.

To say we were disappointed in the quality of the craftsmanship of this set is an understatement; in fact, we were shocked and disgusted with the lack of quality leading to grave concerns for the safety of our child in such poorly made pieces of furniture. The combo dresser had a 3 inch gash in the front molding that was obviously there on construction, as it was clear that someone had tried to stain over the significantly flawed wood. In addition, almost all of the crib slats appeared to have shrunk as there was visible plain, unstained wood from every angle of view. The fact that the slats had shrunk to the degree they did caused us great concern regarding the safety and integrity of the crib.

We contacted Crismon’s the same day we came home with the pieces to express our disappointment and concern for the safety of our child and that a company would willingly send out pieces of furniture in such poor quality and yet charge top dollar for proclaimed high quality craftsmanship. The owner of Crismon’s informed us that she contacted the owner of Babyappleseed and that he expressed that this poor quality had been common from his Vietnam production site. He recommended that we wait until the China production site opened to receive higher quality pieces. Back in May, we were told by the owner of Crismon’s that we would be receiving a whole new set in mid July, we knew that unfortunately this meant that we would be unable to prepare the room ahead of time; an activity very meaningful to first time mothers and fathers. We truly debated returning everything and going with a designer with a longer standing reputation and a company that had a proven track record for high quality furniture; however, we truly love the style of the Millbury, as well as its uniqueness and so we were willing to give the company another chance. Obviously, something we now know was a bad judgment call.

Upon further contact on a weekly basis with Crismon’s, we were notified in the middle of July, when we were expecting to receive the furniture, that the furniture would not arrive until the first week of August because it was reportedly still in China. Due to this fact we had to accrue an additional cost in purchasing a bassinet to have something for our son to sleep in, on top of the $1600 price for the Millbury set. On the 24th of July we welcomed our son. Following his birth we contacted Crismon’s and we were informed that the set would not be in until mid August. Today, August 8th, we contacted Crismon’s and were still not given a straight answer as to whether the mid August promissory date was still feasible. At this point, we are even more concerned that we will incur further expenses if we have to purchase a interim crib because there are further problems. This prolonged, unsatisfactory interaction has led to an even greater concern for the quality and safety of the new pieces we are to receive.

To say we are frustrated is an understatement, to say we are disappointed does not clearly indicate our feelings. Where has customer service gone? Given our experience with Babyappleseed and the fact that we both know numerous couples who are becoming new parents or who plan in the future and that we both employed in arenas where we interact with many people on a daily basis, we have shared our story and the reaction we have received is one of complete disgust and astonishment. At this time, we are uncertain of where the dishonesty lies and we have no idea what can remedy this situation. We felt we had to make our voices heard so that you understand the affect such a lack of commitment to quality and such a lack of commitment to ensuring the satisfaction of your customers has had. We hope you will communicate with the owner of BabyAppleseed regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

Thomas M.