Buying Furniture Story
 

Thought I'd share some good news, for a change of pace.
I've been in need of some new furniture, and found some of what I wanted today here in CT, a sofa and loveseat, very moderately priced, but very nice. I told the salesman I had a van with me that I'd removed the seats from (my dad's) and was ready to buy and was very pleased with the price of the sofa, but the loveseat had no price on it, and he wanted just $30 less for the love seat. I was gonna go for it, except that he only had the floor models, which looked fine, but still, it was floor models. He showed no interest at all in selling to me (it's funny, you're either hounded or ignored by salesmen) and was arrogant when I questioned why the love seat was only $30 less than the sofa. His phone rang, understandably he went to answer it, no 'excuse me a minute'- and he didn't come back to where I was after his brief phone call. During that time, I had a pen in my pocket, but no paper, so I wrote the maker and stock number from the ticket of the sofa on the back of a receipt from my mom's doctor visit. I asked him if he could do any better, it was a floor model, he said no, I asked for his business card and came home feeling kinda bad.
Got online- will cut to the chase now. It took 20 minutes for me to find the items, but I did. He had only 'marked up' the sofa $70, hey, I understand retail, that's cool- but the love seat he'd marked up $160- so I ordered online, saved $230 off the store price, I'm getting free delivery, plus I'm saving a good $50 with no sales tax being applied, and by selecting 'pay COD' the online distributor took another 5% off. So, if not for the surly salesman, I'd be lugging it home myself (I really wanted it!)- which I am so tired of- lugging stuff.
Now, the question is, at the same place, I saw a full sized mattress and box spring I liked, extra firm mattress, which I prefer. Price was excellent. I already have the full sized frame and headboard. I have the make and model number of it as well and may be able to find it online and save a little, but dammit, I feel guilty, people deserve to make a living. But the guy was such a d*ck. Is the right thing to do is go back and let him have the sale? I kind of think it is. But then, am I being stupid? I think perhaps I would be. So, do I do the kind thing, even though he wasn't kind to me, I can take it, or do I do the smart thing to save a buck, which is behavior I had always cringed at when my father did it when I was growing up. And he still does it. And I did it, today, though really, with some reason. But still... I feel kind of 'Ratzo Rizzo' about it all (the Dustin Hoffman character would sneak into 'happy hour' to eat the free food and not buy drinks).
I guess I'll have to figure it out myself. I can't imagine I'd save more than $30 online, it was a very good deal, but he told me it had to be ordered and made no effort to tell me how long it might take or any other details. I asked for his card as I was leaving and I said 'I really am ready to buy today, I have a whole house I need to furnish* "but I guess you don't need the sale today"-- in not a mean voice, truthfully I was very tired (had a 10am ultrasound appt to take my mom to this morning) and a little bewildered that I was being 'dissed' by the salesguy. His reply to me: "I guess you don't need to get the furniture today!"
****! Is this normal salesguy technique' "I guess you don't need the furniture today??"
* that was a slight exagerration, I have furniture from my old place, but have 3 rooms I need to buy for. Two, now, once the deliveries arrive.
It might be good karma for me to go back and buy the mattress set from him anyway. Stupid, but right. He bitched that I wrote down the item numbers and manufacturers, and had a point. I didn't try to hide that I'd done it, I held the piece of paper in my hand.
Boy, when I'm tired, people just don't wanna know me- it was like the Stevie Nicks box-office manager at the MGM all over again! But this time, I had a happier ending :)

I try really hard to buy from local stores - I still buy CDs and books from independent local stores - I rarely eat at chain restaurants, preferring locally made food. I go to the farmer's market. I buy plants and landscaping supplies from local nursuries instead of big-box stores - all the while knowing I am paying more.

However, sometimes you find that local guy who's just a dick. I never buy from them. I'll shop online or from a big-box store before I give my money to a business owner who acts like he doesn't want it. Customer service is a huge incentive, and if a business wants to thrive, they need to learn the art of cultivating relationships with their customers - even potential customers. A sale at less profit to a customer who will come back is better than losing the business to someone you can't compete with. You owe the guy nothing - and I doubt you need to worry about karmic implications.

^
Thanks for the time you took to leave that nice response. I think I won't go back. I would have loved to have that sofa and love seat in my house right now, who knows how long the delivery will take, I would have paid more than it cost online- just the 'who cares' attitude and the hunch (that turned out to be right) that the loveseat was way overpriced made me walk away. I really didn't want to leave without the items, and like you said, supporting smaller businesses is important. Ha- I told my Dad, he was ecstatic. Sigh.
Thank you, again!

Update: E-mail from the too-good to be true online retailer: "Items backordered until December". Who ships C.O.D. since forever? Maybe they're not even for real.
No wonder the price was so great! Back to the store with hopes of another salesman next time!

I hope it goes well. Is there another store in your city that sells the same furniture? Maybe you could try somewhere that would really appreciate your business. The first guy didn't seem to!! If it's okay to ask, where did you find the furniture online?

That's sucks. ): Good luck! Maybe you could use that online retailer's price as a bargaining tool at the other store.

Thanks! Sure its ok to ask- the online place is comfyco.com
Good God, like I shouldn't have been able to see it (not) coming all along?!! From the world respected comfyco distribution center, serving dozens of satisfied customers since 1945.
Awww, man, just woke up. 13 hours of sleep without waking up during it for the first time in weeks, I can tell already that I feel 100 times better.

Like I always say, everything happens for a reason. Personally I rather despise sofa-loveseat combinations. It's too matchy-matchy. And it's a bit stuffy and middle-American in a way. Why not spring for a sectional or a sofa + a pair of hot occasional chairs instead?

Good idea, Hejira, but I have lots of chairs. I have to keep myself from buying more, because I see so many I like. Have you ever been to a 'Home Goods Store', owned by the same company as TJMaxx? They carry amazing chairs, to my taste, at least-- and they had two small red velvet chairs I wanted yesterday but any more chairs in here, and this house will look like "Kol's house of chairs".
This was not your typical sofa/love seat, it was very modern looking, with a streamlined Asian look to it, lower to the floor and angular in design- would have been perfect- they weren't the usual bulky, overstuffed (and heavy!) sofa loveseats. Anything that weighs a ton now I avoid, if it can be moved by me using a hand truck and fit in my Dad's van, getting it in the house is easy.
Maybe I'll post a photo if I can figure it out, though it could be others would say 'Ick' anyway- it was very cool looking in person. A microfiber (I know) faux-velvet fabric, and didn't weigh a ton!