Reader Jennifer D. writes in today to complain about a delay with an order for Munire’s Urban collection:
I wanted to write in and warn other parents about ordering an urban Munire crib. My husband and I ordered this crib in white on September 15th.
The crib has still not arrived and the Munire representative is
not able to estimate a date of arrival. The customer
service has been horrible (the worst!). They have not
been able to tell me the estimated date of arrival for
the crib for the past 4 months and have not
compensated me for waiting (and I should mention that
I paid $600 for this crib over 6 months ago). Each
month they tell me that it "may" come in 4 weeks. So
my child is now 3 months old with no crib.My husband and I are both physicians and are aware of the
importance of providing a safe sleeping environment
for your infant. Being left with no crib has been so
frustrating. I would never order anything from Munire
again. I should mention that I ordered the crib
through USA baby. USA baby has been incredibly helpful
(great customer service) and I would order another
brand of furniture through them in the future.
We asked Munire what was up with the Urban collection, as we have received similar emails in the past few weeks. Here is their response:
The Urban collection has had an overwhelming response in the market, sales far exceeded our projections. Some dealers have reported they have never seen a collection sell so well. As you know, in the import business it takes a number of months before you can react to such a sudden explosion in demand. In response, we have made major adjustments to substantially boost production. We are now getting shipments in weekly and catching up on many of the oldest orders. By mid April we will be in a very strong stock position so Urban shipping will be back to the 4-8week shipping target we have for all of our line.
The Urban isn’t the only part of Munire’s line suffering delays. The Essex crib (especially in white) has also bedeviled the company:
The Essex white crib delay was another exception. We try to project orders in advance, proportioning the crib to cases. In the case of Essex White crib, the crib to our surprise has far outsold the cases. I can only guess due to the low price of Essex crib and the generic white finish, customers must be buying the Munire crib alone and possibly matching it with other lower priced white furniture. We have boosted white crib production in response and will be in strong stock position 2/16/08.
Update: Good news! There is a happy ending here. Jennifer reports:
I can not thank you enough for your help in getting my
crib! I received a call from a representative from
Munire just a few hours after sending my email. I
will receive the crib in three weeks and at no cost.
I do not know how to express my gratitude for your
assistance with this and for clarifying the reasons
for the delay! I have already bought two editions of
baby bargains and will continue to buy the book as we
expand our family.Thank you again for all your help!
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When I ordered my Munire furniture recently, the salesperson at the store advised I steer clear of the newer Munire lines (Urban and the Essex, I believe) because they were seriously back-ordered.
When I ordered my Munire furniture recently, the salesperson at the store advised I steer clear of the newer Munire lines (Urban and the Essex, I believe) because they were seriously back-ordered.
Great Blog….
Great Blog….
I ordered the Munire Urban in Espresso crib in February of 2008 and received it in 10 days.
I ordered the Munire Urban in Espresso crib in February of 2008 and received it in 10 days.
Do not buy from Munire! I ordered the Charleston collection on 8/4/07 and as of 3/10/08 I still don’t have furniture for my two-month old. We learned about the fourth delay a few days ago and we won’t have our furniture (maybe) until son is four months old! Customer service is awful and a nine-month lead time is unacceptable. Baby Bargains should not recommend this company anymore.
Do not buy from Munire! I ordered the Charleston collection on 8/4/07 and as of 3/10/08 I still don’t have furniture for my two-month old. We learned about the fourth delay a few days ago and we won’t have our furniture (maybe) until son is four months old! Customer service is awful and a nine-month lead time is unacceptable. Baby Bargains should not recommend this company anymore.
I ordered a white Essex crib on January 21 and it arrived on March 8, within the 6-8 week estimate I was given.
I ordered a white Essex crib on January 21 and it arrived on March 8, within the 6-8 week estimate I was given.
Just something to keep in mind with backorder situations, if you have purchased the item with a credit card, the item must ship within 24 hours of posting, as per Visa/Master Card rules. If the item is not ready to ship immediately, I would advise asking for a refund and to be put on a waiting list, as they cannot hold a CC purchase in a backorder situation. If they do not do this, you can contact the card company and ask for a charge-back. I deal with this on a daily basis, and trust me when I tell you that companies do not like charge-backs because if they receive too many, they can lose the ability to process a card.
Just something to keep in mind with backorder situations, if you have purchased the item with a credit card, the item must ship within 24 hours of posting, as per Visa/Master Card rules. If the item is not ready to ship immediately, I would advise asking for a refund and to be put on a waiting list, as they cannot hold a CC purchase in a backorder situation. If they do not do this, you can contact the card company and ask for a charge-back. I deal with this on a daily basis, and trust me when I tell you that companies do not like charge-backs because if they receive too many, they can lose the ability to process a card.
Why would you run a charge back if you are just going to turn around and buy the furniture again? That seems like a waste of time and effort to me. What people need to understand is the constant support of big box stores (like Walmart and Target) has driven virtually all manufacturing out of the US and into places like Indonesia. That’s where Munire furniture is made. Two years ago they were making in New Jersey. It takes usually a month and a half for a container ship to make the journey to the states. So it shouldn’t be to surprising to learn that foreign made furniture takes a long time to get.
Why would you run a charge back if you are just going to turn around and buy the furniture again? That seems like a waste of time and effort to me. What people need to understand is the constant support of big box stores (like Walmart and Target) has driven virtually all manufacturing out of the US and into places like Indonesia. That’s where Munire furniture is made. Two years ago they were making in New Jersey. It takes usually a month and a half for a container ship to make the journey to the states. So it shouldn’t be to surprising to learn that foreign made furniture takes a long time to get.
I ordered a white Urban crib at the end of November through Baby World in Denver. The staff at Baby World can’t even get a straight answer out of Munire. I expected my crib no later than February and now they are predicting my furniture won’t make it here until “sometime” in April. Why can’t I just get a specific date? From anyone? It shouldn’t be this complicated, right? Based on the previous posts, if they really are filling the oldest backorders first, I’m out of luck for quite some time. Even though Baby World has tried to be flexible and has offered me “loaner” furniture, I’m pretty disgusted with the whole process and everyone involved. Operations Management 101 would dictate if you KNOW a line is popular, you yank the stuff that isn’t selling off the line and make the popular model!!! My baby is due in 2 weeks and all the research I did and all the effort I put into choosing this furniture was all for nothing – I can’t believe I have to bring my baby home to a “loaner.”
I ordered a white Urban crib at the end of November through Baby World in Denver. The staff at Baby World can’t even get a straight answer out of Munire. I expected my crib no later than February and now they are predicting my furniture won’t make it here until “sometime” in April. Why can’t I just get a specific date? From anyone? It shouldn’t be this complicated, right? Based on the previous posts, if they really are filling the oldest backorders first, I’m out of luck for quite some time. Even though Baby World has tried to be flexible and has offered me “loaner” furniture, I’m pretty disgusted with the whole process and everyone involved. Operations Management 101 would dictate if you KNOW a line is popular, you yank the stuff that isn’t selling off the line and make the popular model!!! My baby is due in 2 weeks and all the research I did and all the effort I put into choosing this furniture was all for nothing – I can’t believe I have to bring my baby home to a “loaner.”
The response by Munire in this article is not the same story I am getting. We ordered the Urban crib and dresser on 10/7/07 and told it wouldn’t be in until February. Since then it has been continuously delayed – we were first told March, then April, now May…maybe…
They are lying. And, their customer service representatives are so very unconcered when we contacted them. We were told it was because they are having trouble finding an appropriate wood supplier. If we wait until May, my daughter will be 6 months old! Ridiculous!
We are cancelling our order. Luckily, The Baby’s Room, whom we ordered it through has given us a temp set of furniture.
The response by Munire in this article is not the same story I am getting. We ordered the Urban crib and dresser on 10/7/07 and told it wouldn’t be in until February. Since then it has been continuously delayed – we were first told March, then April, now May…maybe…
They are lying. And, their customer service representatives are so very unconcered when we contacted them. We were told it was because they are having trouble finding an appropriate wood supplier. If we wait until May, my daughter will be 6 months old! Ridiculous!
We are cancelling our order. Luckily, The Baby’s Room, whom we ordered it through has given us a temp set of furniture.
If you like the look of the Urban Bonavita just released a new group called Metro that looks almost identical and is shipping in stock. In my opinion Bonavita is great quality with nice style.
If you like the look of the Urban Bonavita just released a new group called Metro that looks almost identical and is shipping in stock. In my opinion Bonavita is great quality with nice style.
I absolutely love this collection. I was pretty much sold on it — now I am not so sure. A couple of concerns: Should I be concerned that it is made in China? Re-calls? Danger? What do I need to know? Also, about this delivery delay time — I was told 8-10 weeks — what do you think?
I absolutely love this collection. I was pretty much sold on it — now I am not so sure. A couple of concerns: Should I be concerned that it is made in China? Re-calls? Danger? What do I need to know? Also, about this delivery delay time — I was told 8-10 weeks — what do you think?
I ordered the Urban set at the beginning of February and was just informed Munire shipped my order yesterday (5/1/08). It will be in next week! It sounds like they may just be back on track with production.
I ordered the Urban set at the beginning of February and was just informed Munire shipped my order yesterday (5/1/08). It will be in next week! It sounds like they may just be back on track with production.
I ordered the urban collection in espresso from Baby Town in March and was told it would take 6-8 weeks. I just phoned them and was told maybe it would be available at the end of June. If I had known about potential delays I would not have ordered the furniture in the first place!!!!
I ordered the urban collection in espresso from Baby Town in March and was told it would take 6-8 weeks. I just phoned them and was told maybe it would be available at the end of June. If I had known about potential delays I would not have ordered the furniture in the first place!!!!
Well, I thought i’d throw my $.02 in as well. We ordered the Urban Crib, 5 Chest Drawer, Nightstand & conversion rails in early February. We were told 6 – 8 weeks from our sales person at the Nebraska Furniture Mart (Omaha, NE). They have delayed us now 3 times – first it was mid March, then late April, then late May and now i’m being told Mid-June. We ordered this crib 5 months before I was due, and it is now “possibly” going to come within a week of my Due Date.
I agree that it’s very frustrating for a manufacturer to not be able to tell parents when their children’s furniture will be in.
We would have ordered a new set back in March after the first delay had we known that they would keep pushing it back. But, now we’re stuck – even if we order a different set (that we don’t like as well) it’s 6 – 8 weeks turn around time for that.
I’ll never order from this company again.
Well, I thought i’d throw my $.02 in as well. We ordered the Urban Crib, 5 Chest Drawer, Nightstand & conversion rails in early February. We were told 6 – 8 weeks from our sales person at the Nebraska Furniture Mart (Omaha, NE). They have delayed us now 3 times – first it was mid March, then late April, then late May and now i’m being told Mid-June. We ordered this crib 5 months before I was due, and it is now “possibly” going to come within a week of my Due Date.
I agree that it’s very frustrating for a manufacturer to not be able to tell parents when their children’s furniture will be in.
We would have ordered a new set back in March after the first delay had we known that they would keep pushing it back. But, now we’re stuck – even if we order a different set (that we don’t like as well) it’s 6 – 8 weeks turn around time for that.
I’ll never order from this company again.
i live in southern california and despite the comments above, ordered the urban crib and combo in espresso in mid-may. before i purchased the furniture, the salesman checked the inventory (apparently there is a munire storage warehouse in northern california). he told me that the warehouse currently had the pieces i wanted in stock and that it would only take the normal delivery time of 4-6 weeks, which meant a mid- to late june delivery. the items were delivered today, 2 weeks later! i don’t know if it’s a location thing (more stock in california?) or if they’ve fixed supply problems from late 07/ early 08, or just luck, but i had no problems. hope everyone gets their furniture …
i live in southern california and despite the comments above, ordered the urban crib and combo in espresso in mid-may. before i purchased the furniture, the salesman checked the inventory (apparently there is a munire storage warehouse in northern california). he told me that the warehouse currently had the pieces i wanted in stock and that it would only take the normal delivery time of 4-6 weeks, which meant a mid- to late june delivery. the items were delivered today, 2 weeks later! i don’t know if it’s a location thing (more stock in california?) or if they’ve fixed supply problems from late 07/ early 08, or just luck, but i had no problems. hope everyone gets their furniture …
I ordered the Munire Urban crub and sez draw dresser in cherry back in January. We just got it delivered this week with no problem. Would have gotten it sooner but we were waiting on movin to a new apt. The quality of this crib is amazing. It really looks like million dollars. Couldnt be happier.
I ordered the Munire Urban crub and sez draw dresser in cherry back in January. We just got it delivered this week with no problem. Would have gotten it sooner but we were waiting on movin to a new apt. The quality of this crib is amazing. It really looks like million dollars. Couldnt be happier.
I ordered the Urban crib, 5 drawer dresser, combo, nightstand and conversion rails on May 1, 2008 from USA Baby in Novi, MI. I was quoted a 6-14 week delivery time (14 weeks would have been August 7). Everytime I call USA Baby they give me a different time frame. It is very frustrating to not get a definitive answer. The last time I called, USA Baby told me I should have it by the end of August. Please post any tips or insight anyone might have — I’m getting anxious it won’t be here before the baby is!
Please be aware that it seems Munire is still having trouble meeting its delivery time frames.
I ordered the Urban crib, 5 drawer dresser, combo, nightstand and conversion rails on May 1, 2008 from USA Baby in Novi, MI. I was quoted a 6-14 week delivery time (14 weeks would have been August 7). Everytime I call USA Baby they give me a different time frame. It is very frustrating to not get a definitive answer. The last time I called, USA Baby told me I should have it by the end of August. Please post any tips or insight anyone might have — I’m getting anxious it won’t be here before the baby is!
Please be aware that it seems Munire is still having trouble meeting its delivery time frames.
We ordered the Urban 6-drawer dresser the first week of April 2008 (to go with a rather plan Sorelle crib). It is now August 23, 2008 and we still don’t have the dresser. USA Baby has been great – but Munire is horrible!
We ordered the Urban 6-drawer dresser the first week of April 2008 (to go with a rather plan Sorelle crib). It is now August 23, 2008 and we still don’t have the dresser. USA Baby has been great – but Munire is horrible!
UPDATE.
ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER MY CRIB ORDER IS STILL INCOMPLETE. When I finally received my crib, months after my baby was born!, it was defective. The front panel (what will be the footboard) was never sanded and repainted. It’s a mess. So, Baby World in Denver reordered a replacement part. That part, delivered 2 months later, was just as bad! Now, it’s 11 months since I ordered this spectacular crib that Baby Bargains said was so fabulous, and I have large turd in my nursery. Not once, no one involved, not Munire, not Baby World, and certainly not Baby Bargains (who have not responded my emails or phone calls about this) HAS EVER OFFERED SO MUCH AS AN APOLOGY much less a discount, speedier service, nothing nada not one thing. I have never been so disgusted with a purchase in my entire life.
UPDATE.
ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER MY CRIB ORDER IS STILL INCOMPLETE. When I finally received my crib, months after my baby was born!, it was defective. The front panel (what will be the footboard) was never sanded and repainted. It’s a mess. So, Baby World in Denver reordered a replacement part. That part, delivered 2 months later, was just as bad! Now, it’s 11 months since I ordered this spectacular crib that Baby Bargains said was so fabulous, and I have large turd in my nursery. Not once, no one involved, not Munire, not Baby World, and certainly not Baby Bargains (who have not responded my emails or phone calls about this) HAS EVER OFFERED SO MUCH AS AN APOLOGY much less a discount, speedier service, nothing nada not one thing. I have never been so disgusted with a purchase in my entire life.
Hi Susan. Apologies—for some reason we did not get your email. Please call our office asap at 303 442 8792. Thanks, Alan & Denise Fields, authors.
Hi Susan. Apologies—for some reason we did not get your email. Please call our office asap at 303 442 8792. Thanks, Alan & Denise Fields, authors.