West Elm
Reviews and Complaints

This company is run with zero regard for employees. Management are completely hypocritical about everything. Supervisors are totally incompetent. Policies are only vaguely enforced. Employees are misled and abused, including manipulation of time punches and denial of contractual benefits. Customers are lied to, websites are totally misleading and most employees have no concept of how to do anything correctly. The lack of respect and common human decency is downright criminal. Never shop there if you value your money or your soul!

I purchased a gorgeous 8x10 wool rug from West Elm about 3 1/2 or 4 years ago. The rug was tufted wool made in India and it was $599 (SKU number 9188905, Ayo rug in slate gray). The rug was great for the first couple of years in our living room. We moved it to our daughter's room and started noticing a funny smell like burned rubber. After realizing that the smell was not caused by anything our daughter had done, we discovered the smell was coming from the back of the rug. We tried everything- Febreeze, baking soda, perfume- the smell would not go away! We moved it into the guest bedroom because it was a larger room and hopefully more ventilated. The rug still reeked! So now we have rolled it up and put it in the garage- and now the garage smells like burned rubber! I've done a lot of research since then and I have discovered that this is a BIG problem with rugs from West Elm and Pottery Barn. They buy certain rugs from cheap manufacturers (although the $600 price was NOT cheap to me- I thought I was getting a quality rug). All is well with the rug for a year- maybe three or four and then the latex backing begins to degrade and give off a VERY noxious odor. This is through no fault of the owner- please know that I am a total clean freak! No pets, no small children, the rug is in terrific shape other than the horrible rubber smell coming from the back. I had NO luck with customer service- they keep asking for a receipt or purchase date. Who saves receipts from a rug they bought that long ago? Or who can nail down the exact date of purchase? PLEASE avoid buying rugs from this company- they refuse to admit they are selling a faulty product. The rug is worthless now and I am out $600.

Twice I have ordered from West Elm back order items and this is how it goes
First you place your order then at check out it is stated that the item is on back order for like 6 months and that if you continued with your purchase you would not be charged till the item shipped This was fine with me so in both cases I continued
Then you get a confirmation email thanking you for your purchase so far so good but here is where it goes so so wrong
Moments later they inform you that the item is completely out of stock then you go to your bank and there is a hold on your account for the purchase price which stays there for 3 days What are they thinking this could cause anyone who is on a very struck budget in their bank account to have all kinds of over drafts if they are not expecting this to happen which they would not since west elm clearly states you will not be charged till shipment Do not order from these people

Williams Sonoma is an Over Priced, Over Rated Specialty Home Furnishings Retailer who only cares about their Billion dollars plus bottom line! They don’t care about their customers’ safety, nor does it stand behind its corporate values of the “Customer Means Everything”… especially when you get MUGGED in their store!

I was in Williams Sonoma’s Highland Park, IL store location over the busy holidays. My purse was stolen right off of me in their store! I was violated, and very emotionally distressed! I told one of the women behind the counter what had happened, all she did was say she was sorry, and continued to ring up sales! They never called the police. I had to ask to use their phone (mine was stolen in my purse) to call the police. The customers were more concerned and more compassionate than the Williams Sonoma employees. You would think they would have some sort of protocol in place for safety and incidents like mine.

When the police officer came, the employees kept on ringing up sales and really didn’t care to help me or the police officer in his investigation. The police office was surprised and noted there were no security cameras in the store.

I contacted Williams Sonoma’s corporate office. No one called me, or tried to contact me. I had to call the District Manager to get a call from their…WILLIAMS SONOMA’S LEGAL DEPARTMENT! Who “appeared” to be concerned, and needed my help getting information, the police report etc.

I am not an attorney, nor was I represented by one, but I trusted them to help me, and provide some sort of concession. Well they didn’t! After putting me off for weeks during “their investigation”, I was told that they were sorry, but Williams Sonoma is not liable.

This is not about whether I have any legal standing or not in this case. It’s about how Williams Sonoma treats their customers after an incident like mine, and how it is handled within their company, that matters in the court of “public opinion.” It is not right that I get mugged from by someone in one of their stores, and then I suffer further abuse from corporate and its legal department . To be dismissed without any concession from Williams Sonoma shows lack of compassion for its customers. This is how they “answer the needs” of their customers that mean “Everything”?

We ordered the tall bed frame online in March 2011 and last week the left side split in half when my fiance sat down. It's now propped up with a short stool and a textbook.

We called Friday and spoke to a customer service rep and she said she would have her manager call us back in 2 hours. Noone called back. In fact, when we called them again they didn't even have a record that we called!

This time my fiance asked for the first AND last name but she refused to provide it. Supposedly they are sending UPS to come pick up the bed next week.

We boxed up the bed frame and called West Elm again so they can arrange for UPS to pick it up. We told them there were 2 boxes and they repeated it to confirm. When UPS arrived they said they were only told we had 1 box. So we had to call them again. They finally picked it up. In the end they refunded the money for the bed for the full amount. Regardless, it was a nightmare.

Williams Sonoma was posting on their website for customers to use a discount coupon code to purchase cookware. When I went to purchase it, the discount code was not accepted, even though the advertising on their website says to use the code - specifically with this item. I contacted their customer service and all they said was they couldn't honor the code - even though they were advertising to their customers to use the code! They made no effort to show they had made a mistake and honor the code that they were advertising on their website. What a poor quality company this is.

In March of this year, I purchased 4 items of the Henry sectional sofa. The ottoman arrived first, some time in late May while 2 other pieces arrived in mid-June. Finally, the last piece, the corner arrived a few days later, but the delivery guys could not get the piece into my basement where the other pieces were located. The corner could fit inside my house, just couldn't fit through any of the 3 doors that lead to my basement. So, the delivery guys decided to take the corner back to the warehouse. A few days later, I called to find out what was the status -- either I wanted my money refunded or the piece back. I had not heard from West Elm at all until I called. They were most willing to keep my money and the furniture without contacting me. I kept calling the store which had no record of a delivery. Finally, a few days later, the store's manager, tracked down the furniture in a warehouse, but disavowed any relation to the furniture as it was now in the hands of a separate delivery company which is strange as I ordered the furniture from the store. So, after I called and asked for either the money or furniture, they said that since the piece was "custom" (which I find hard to believe, as they have the same furniture in the same fabric in their stores). they could only just leave the furniture, whether it fit in or not. A few weeks later, I took off work so that they could redeliver the furniture which could not be taken apart to fit through the door. I was told, essentially, that I was out of luck since I should have measured the door to the basement to ensure that the piece would fit. The other pieces fit in and if this furniture had come apart, it would have fit in, too. When I ordered the furniture from the store, the salesperson was so intent upon me getting a West Elm credit card that he never said anything about ensuring the measurements due to the fact that they would not take it back once ordered. In fact, the store service was so poor that I wondered how this store stayed in business. Given that I've dealt with customer service (ladies in California) a few times now, I must say that I wonder how this business is still alive. One woman was attempting to be helpful, but in the end said, "sorry, but you'll have to keep the furniture -- too bad it doesn't fit -- get a "furniture doctor at your expense, of course, to take it apart". The other one, Susan, was just down right cold, rude and did not care less whether it fit or not. I think that it's telling about a company when they take what you've paid for back to the warehouse with the intent of keeping the furniture and the money. West Elm, with it's overpriced goods and shyster tactics, needs to be out of business. I will never shop there again.

I visited the Williams Sonoma store at Yorkdale Mall in Toronto on November 17. They did not have the knives I wanted so i asked them to order them. They said it would take 1-2 weeks. I received a call on Dec 3 (just slightly more than 2 weeks) and was informed the knives had arrived. I said I would come in on Dec 9 to pick them up. I went on Dec 9 (fought the insane XMas traffic) to get the knives. The staff tried for 20 minutes to find my order and could not. The woman asked me to wait while she helped another customer before she looked further. It was more important to them to position staff at the entrances (to watch for theft) than to help make a customer happy. I wanted to buy 2 iron clad sauce pans but I walked out with nothing. I have spent thousands of dollars in this store over the past 2 years. I will not return.

Tomorrow Never Comes. . . Or the West Elm Saga. It could be the title of a cheesy soap opera. Unfortunately, it's my experience with West Elm. My credit card has been charged. The product is in stock. Customer service tells me the product I ordered will be delivered tomorrow. But remember . . . Tomorrow never comes. Stay tuned for the next exciting episode: Will customer service actually call the warehouse and find out what the problem is? Will I have to beg to get a tracking number? Will I once again be told, "Gee, I don't know, you should have gotten it last week?" Will tomorrow ever come? For that matter, will my curtain hardware ever arrive?

I ordered a product online; was told it was in stock and a subsequent e-mail confirmed this. Ten days later when I returned from being out of town, the product had not arrived. When I called them, I learned it had not even shipped. "Maybe it's sitting in a box in the warehouse somewhere, " I was told by customer service. Only when I spoke with a supervisor was I offered rush (not overnight) shipping for free.

Worst customer service ever. Called number on their website, they answered (twice) as "Pottery Barn".

Ordered 4ft floating shelves. Manual had many typos (spelling errors) and claims you can install the shelves in drywall or studs. However, the way they manufactured the shelves with the two screws/brackets on each side was incorrect, non-standard. Studs are 2" wide. The 2 screws in each bracket were 2.5" apart. How is this supposed to properly go in the studs? Shelves are about 10lbs each. Drywall option is "15lb max" according to the manual. How pathetic.

About five times I've asked them via phone and email to adjust my online account so it reflects all my orders placed with them, phone and website. Still nothing, 3 months later.

Ordered draperies and hardware. Hardware back-ordered until 8/29. Called today (9/3) and they say back-ordered until 9/7. Go to the product page, says 9/9.

3 weeks ago, got a mystery delivery (side table) from Pottery Barn Kids! Never ordered it. These people are insanely incompetent.

Called NJ (Paramus) location to get availability on the drapery hardware. Lady asks for my name/number to call back because "we open at 11". It was 10:48am when I called. Amazing.

Called PA (Philadelphia) location to ask about availability. Lady with a dying low voice put me on hold for a few minutes before I hung up.

DO NOT ORDER FROM WEST ELM. THEY ARE THE WORST IN CUSTOMER SERVICE!

I ordered a full-sized futon cover and it is no where near close to a standard full size. I asked West Elm to send a postagepaid return label (I already paid $8 to get the item) and they refused saying the cover only fits THEIR futons - so I responded that no where did it indicate that on the web site and requested a label again. They responded I could locate and return it to a store... which is 150 miles away. If it only fits their futon that should have been posted. And I was ok with splitting the shipping. Such poor service - "find a store and tough luck" was basically the response. Unless I get a return label, I shall never order from them again, nor their parent company, Williams Sonoma.

The Williams Sonoma May 2009 catalog lists a 3 1/2 quart Dutch over (item [protected]) on sale for $99.95. When I attempted to order the item both online and over the phone the WS representatives listed the price as $185 for the color I was looking for. WS customer sales representatives refused to honor their own advertised price and stated that the sale price was restricted to colors of those 'pictured' on the catalog page even though there were NO Restrictions to that effect on the advertisement. Further the specific description of the item listed for sale for $99.95 cataloged all the colors available. I believe the add is deceptive and a simple bait and switch.

After emails back and forth with WS Customer Service, they refuse to provide the product for any price except the $185 price. This is not how you treat a long term customer (been buying EXPENSIVE items from them for over 15 years) by not admitting you designed the catolog improperly or make good on the advertisement error.

Don't even think about getting to this story 'early' for a good deal on a floor sample hope to get at a discount. I was told a piece of furniture I had an eye was to be sold off in a'floor sample sale' and the store would open early at 9 a.m., would be first come, first served. The sales associate said the previous year people were lining up from 6.30 a.m. for items (for a 9 a.m. door opening at Williams Sonoma home?) and to get there early for this one-off item.

So I turned up at 7.30 a.m. -- silly me and waited inside the mall with a book. At 8.50 with no-one else there I went and stood by the door, just in case someone came along! Employees inside saw me there!

When I was let in, another man was purchasing the item I had come in for; he had been let in another door before 9 a.m. and the customer and the store manager laughed that he had got the item!

This was a total scam! Not only were there no apologies, I was laughed at for having come early and missed the item! Obviously it was an inside set-up!

Don't fall for this. I will never, never shop at Williams Sonoma or their affiliates (Pottery Barn, West Elm) again.

Unbelievable!

I recently bought Williams Sonoma's Hot Chocolate. I got home and opened the tin and to my dismay found the chocolate to be less than full. Luckily, I still had one of the decorative tins that I saved from last year. I pulled the tin from the shelf and saw that it was 14.5 ounces. The new one I bought was amazingly only 12 ounces. And, the cost remained the same at $19.50. That's almost 20% less chocolate for the same amount of money. And, the tin is exactly the same size on the outside. Had I not saved last year's tin I would not have known the difference! Needless to say I won't be going back to shop there. I felt they deceived their customers and I've been shopping there for over 15 years. Times are tough, they should have at least let their customers know. It's a ripoff! Only makes 8 cups, now instead of 10.

I always go into Williams and Sonoma each time I visit the Christiana Mall. After my visit on Tuesday I will not be returning. I came and picked up a bottle of mixer, the store clerk immediately told me that I needed to put the bottle at the counter until I was ready to purchase it. I shrugged it off and browsed the store, then I was told that perhaps I should look at the sale items along the back of the store. Which I still continued to ignore the man and browse until I was FINISHED. Unfortunately the man continued to follow me closely the entire time I was there, until I finally did leave. I waited at the counter for him to only ignore me and help another customer. If you have not figured it out yet I am African American and the lady he helped was Caucasian. Luckily for me there was another clerk there that was willing to help me, and thanks to her not only did I get out in a timely fashion, but she was extremely helpful and friendly. I shutter to think how my experience would have ended if she had not been there. That was the first time I had that problem at the store and unfortunately for them it will be the last time that I will be buying anything from the store or the web site. I was treated completely different by the one sales clerk simply because of the colour of my skin, the other lady did not get the same treatment I received at all. I wrote the company and not heard anything back yet.

Just thought I'd share what just happened to me...

To whom it may concern;
I am writing in regard to a shipment I just
received. I received as a gift a Williams Sonoma paperback cookbook from a
dear friend. While I would otherwise like the cookbook, the manner in
which it arrived was APPALLING! The paperback cookbook was maybe 9X9X1,
but it came in a HUGE box (that was 15X15X15) which was FILLED with packing
material. I happen to be in the catalog business, I own one, and I have NEVER seen so much waste. I can assure you no one likes to receive items packaged in this manner. It is extremely wasteful, absolutely unnecessary and obviously enormously environmentally unfriendly. This experience has encouraged me to not want to place any orders from you in the future, and
to certainly encourage my friends to do the same.
Hoping you have a valid excuse.

Williams-Sonoma just sent my order to the wrong address. When I called them to let them know and hopefully obtain the items in my order they left me on the phone for over an hour and a half and then they told me after that if I want to obtain the order I placed a week ago I will have to call stores around the country to obtain the items myself! So much for customer service!

The customer service manager came on the phone with a condescending attitude that she really didn't give a *** about the fact that they didn't deliver. She was mostly bent on making sure that I knew she was better than me (by the way I rather doubt on her salary she could clean my house) and my order was the least of her concerns. So all I can say is this attitude comes from the top. They have nothing but contempt for their customers. I'm just letting people know that they are NOT CUSTOMER friendly even though with the prices they charge they should at least be better than KMART they are not! They have the audacity to sue Target and Kohls for copyright infringement, at least they deliver! Maybe if they focused more on delivering what they sold, sales might be better ! I'm, sorry but I felt like I was treated rather badly and I want it out there!

With all this, how do they stay open? Their products are sold other places and cheaper and with such poor customer service they must have ###s for customers! Granted, I was one until today!