Needle & Shears Custom Decor review: slipc0vers 7

Needle and Shears is not a reputable company. I have still not received my order and it is over four months. They do provide one excuse after another. I have since contacted the Better Business Bureau. Beware of Needle and Shears!

I have purchased several slipcovers from this company, and other than a long delay in shipping for one of them, the quality has been fine...until now. The most recent slipcover I bought was made of denim, which I purposefully ordered with a loose fit to compensate for any shrinkage after washing. The cover looked fine when I got it and fit my sofa loosely, so I was happy, When it came time to wash it, I used cold water and allowed the cover to air dry (no mean feat, since I do not have a clothesline, I had to drape it over my dining table.) To my horror, the texture of the denim changed from smooth to rough, like hop sacking, and the cover had shrunk by 25%! (see photo.) I could no longer put it on my sofa! When I called/wrote the company seeking help, I was told that I could send the cover back at my own expense and they would rework it (@ $30 and hour) using the same shoddy denim they used for the original! I, of course, declined their ridiculous offer. I could never get them to address the issue of the substandard fabric they used. I surmise it is some cheap, low thread count stuff (probably from China) they bought to cut costs that is completely inappropriate for slipcovers, which, of course, must be washed from time to time. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THIS COMPANY! They do not stand behind their products. They used to be a great resource. Now they're devolved into just another bunch of crook.

SEVEN MONTHS AGO, Beatrice (Bebe) Emerman of Pasadena, California ordered a slipcover in buffalo denim natural with a loose shabby chic fit. She received the slipcover in December of 2011. This was her third order that she has placed with us and we received an email following the receipt of the slipcover stating the following: “The slipcover looks GREAT! A little loose that’s what we were aiming for. It’s kind of nice and relaxed with a shabby chic vibe and there will be some wiggle room for shrinkage after washing. … Thanks again, and I’ll be in touch when my other sofa cover needs replacing.”

The fabric we used for her slipcover is purchased from an American mill that is over 100 years old and supplies fabric to some of the largest retailers in the country. We have purchased thousands of yards of this fabric and shipped thousands of slipcovers using this same fabric to many satisfied customers over the years.

Upon hearing about her mishap we offered to restore the slipcover to its original sizing for the cost of fabric and labor alone. Most people understand that if you purchase a product from a retailer, use it for over seven months and ruin it you cannot go back to the retailer and expect them to replace it for free. Why does she think that by posting this complaint with the BBB and complaint boards on the web she can get what she wants at no cost?

We believe that we were being very generous with our offer under the circumstances and doing more than would be expected from any other retailer brick & mortar or on-line retailer. However, after reading her posts we are now withdrawing our offer.

I ordered and gave a deposit to needle and shears for my sofa, I sent them pictures but when the time came to take measurements they were so detailed and complicated I feared that if they were not exact they wouldn't fit. the worse part of the experience is that their web site would not accept all the work I did on measuring. It was very frustrating. When I asked for my refund I was given excuses and refusal of my deposit. They did not do any work on this order, but state that the administrative dept helped me with emails, and they have to get paid! I am still in the process of fighting with this company and I am going to contact the Better Business Bureau letting them know what kind of company they are. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY! You will regret it.

This is our response to Margaret Giordano. Ms. Giordano placed an order and agreed to pay a nonrefundable deposit for her order. We promptly sent her an email requesting photos of her furniture and received them 3 weeks later. As we explained to Ms Giordano, the patterning work for her order began with the receipt of her photos. The pattern makers used the photos to create a custom design and pattern draft for her slipcover based on the features of her furniture. This is the most important part of making a custom slipcover. This is what makes it custom and not a cheap cover up that you can buy at a discount store. Everything we make is custom designed and custom fitted. One week later, upon completion of this stage of the work, we emailed a set of measurement forms for her to complete. When the measurements are received they are added to the design draft and checked for accuracy.

After receiving the measurement forms, Ms Giordano contacted us for assistance with sending the completed measurement forms since she was having a problem sending them by email. We responded by giving her several alternative methods that she could use – fax, mail, etc. She refused, she said it was too hard and wanted a refund of her deposit.

As we again explained to her, there are numerous ways that our customers can send their measurements. We also explained that the reason we ask for a non-refundable deposit at the start of the order is to cover the time and labor of our skilled design and patterning staff that worked on her order - not administrative staff. Unfortunately, we have had some customers that have us do all of the patterning work and then never pay for their order. By requiring a nonrefundable deposit up front we can at least cover our labor cost.

WE WARRANTY OUR FIT – As we state on our web site, all of our customer’s measurements are checked and double-checked to try and spot possible errors and we warranty our fit. Under the warranty, if the cover does not fit you can send it back for adjustments.

We have made every effort to assist Ms. Giordano, but every tale has two sides and we are certain that if she makes an honest effort to complete her order she will become one of our many satisfied customers - http://www.needleandshears.com/v/vspfiles/static/Comments.html. You be the judge.

this company does nothing but lie! they said they needed the measurements before they could start working on the slipcover they cannot take the measurements from pictures! yes they gave an alternative to fax, scan or mail the measurements hellllllllllllllo I do not have a scanner or a printer to send anything. they take your money and scam you about their policies. they even admitted to me that their website has problems accepting emails for measurements. I have contacted the better business bureau because this company has done nothing but give me excuses. there was no time and labor involved at all according to their statements.

BE CAREFUL. I placed my order back on August 5, planning well before the holidays. I received my slipcovers Monday (November 9), and the order was not correct. I ordered and paid for welting, but they did not do this. My ottoman slipcovers were measured correctly, but not produced correctly. Needle and Shears acknowledged their mistakes, but the remedies are not acceptable - either keep the un-welted slipcovers and they would refund me the amount for welting (if I didn't want welting, I wouldn't have ordered and paid for it in the first place!) OR send everything back to be produced PROPERLY... but not until AFTER Christmas. I would think that a company who makes an error and acknowledges the error would EXPEDITE THE CORRECTION OF THEIR ERRORS! BEWARE when you make that upfront payment. They've got your money!