Walter E. Smithe’s earns a 1.8-star rating from 14 reviews, showing that the majority of furniture shoppers are dissatisfied with their purchases.
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TD Retail Card Services
Purchased a beautiful table from Walter E. Smithe using my WES card, except, because they had a new system, I had to take a hard hit on my credit for them to open a new card for me. With the new TD RETAIL card, it gave me a 20K limit because my credit is excellent. I’m only on my 4th payment, and have gotten 3 NSF charges because of them. While adding a...
Read full review of Walter E. SmitheLeather loveseat
I took delivery of a custom-made leather loveseat I bought from Walter E Smithe in April 2022. After 2 weeks I noticed the seat cushion starting to sag in middle and lose it shape. I contacted Walter E Smithe’s customer service department and they asked that I email them pictures of the loveseat which I did. They acknowledged the seat cushion was not up to standards and ordered a replacement and said I would have it in a month. Well, I didn’t get the cushion until 4 ½ months later. During that time, other problems with back cushion became soft and the armrests.
I contacted customer service again ask for manager and got Adrina. I explained to her the problem with loveseat and asked if I could exchange it for something else or get a store credit for the $5000 I paid for the loveseat. She said she would see what she could do and asked that I send pictures which I did.
It’s been over a month now and every time I call customer service for an update on my request, I get the run around. Adrina is never available and all the other managers are always in meetings. I leave messages for a manager to call me back but no one has ever returned my call. I send emails and no one responds.
I have given Walter E Smithe several opportunities to fix this situation but they have failed me.
Desired outcome: I want to return the loveseat and get a store credit for the amount I paid for it so I can buy something else.
Service
I purchased two sofas at Walter E Smith in 2020. At that time we were looking to furnish our entire house with W&S. However from the moment I made a purchase it has been total nightmare dealing with your staff as well as your customer service department.First we had to call numerous times to check on our delivery date as we were not getting any follow up from the sales person.
Finally delivery was scheduled for August 2020. When they showed up only one sofa was delivered. We went through a hustle of getting our second sofa delivered. In the main time seems on one of the sofas started splitting. I called in to report this to see what can be done about it since we had it for one month. I was given so many run arounds by extremely rude staff that I gave up and just decided to let it go.Second sofa was delivered in November. In this whole chaos I was informed I would not be charged until sofas are delivered. This purchase was made during 24 months no interest promotion. I received this month statement and I was charged $901.11 deferred interest!?
I called customer service (agent L40) who was beyond rude told me apparently supervisor said promo ended on 8/16 and nothing they can do. She said there is no record of our second delivery!?After I asked to personally speak with this supervisor (V97) agent told me he is no longer available as they close at 8pm (and it was exactly 8pm - after I was on hold for 15 min)
My experience with W&S is unreal .I expect someone to contact me immediately to resolve interest charges on my account. My next step will be to take this complaint to all social media platforms as I feel consumers deserve to be aware of thing like this. Needles to say we purchased rest of our furniture with Restoration Hardware and received nothing but outstanding service.
Desired outcome: Interest charges to be removed from my account.
Is Walter E. Smithe Legit?
Walter E. Smithe earns a trustworthiness rating of 94%
Highly recommended, but caution will not hurt.
We found clear and detailed contact information for Walter E. Smithe. The company provides a physical address, 2 phone numbers, and 2 emails, as well as 3 social media accounts. This demonstrates a commitment to customer service and transparency, which is a positive sign for building trust with customers.
Walter E. Smithe has registered the domain name for smithe.com for more than one year, which may indicate stability and longevity.
Smithe.com has a valid SSL certificate, which indicates that the website is secure and trustworthy. Look for the padlock icon in the browser and the "https" prefix in the URL to confirm that the website is using SSL.
Smithe.com has been deemed safe to visit, as it is protected by a cloud-based cybersecurity solution that uses the Domain Name System (DNS) to help protect networks from online threats.
Smithe.com you are considering visiting, which is associated with Walter E. Smithe, is very old. Longevity often suggests that a website has consistently provided valuable content, products, or services over the years and has maintained a stable user base and a sustained online presence. This could be an indication of a very positive reputation.
However ComplaintsBoard has detected that:
- Despite a high level of trust, our investigation found issues with Walter E. Smithe's service, including poor customer service, lack of accountability, and responsibility to resolve complaints. Customers may face long wait times for responses, receive generic or unhelpful answers or no response at all. Only 21% of 0 complaints were resolved.
Cash card
@WalterESmithe hi - I am a long time customer of WalterESmithe and I am looking for help from Arlington Heights IL shoroom. I was disappointed with the service I got.
I was offered the cash card of $1000 due to delays to deliver my product and because of one product not fitting in my house. I was not sure on expiry date as normally cash cards do not expire. In addition, I had a situation in my family and lost of my father because of covid that resulted me delaying the use of cash card and now when I went to buy the stuff at store, I was told that this card is expired. It was expired in Feb 2022.
Desired outcome: Renewal of my card so that I can use that at store
New Spy Commercial "License to " may be racist or show Arab people in bad light
That new commercial may be commercial but it shows an Arab woman wearing a had scarf or Buhrka at the cocktail party, then cuts away to your daughter as if she is there to spy on that Arab woman? I take it as if its about
"Espionage" or something and not furniture. Couldn't you have just added a woman of Arab descent with western apparel on?
Desired outcome: You think about that
Lazy boy lift recliner chair
I purchased this chair July 25, 2020. It was delivered November 15, 2020. On February 15, 2021 it began to not work properly. When you put the chair into the lift position and then go back to recline it will not recline. If you unplug the chair for some time and plug it back in, it will begin to recline again, but the foot rest does not come up very high like it used to. If you use it to lift (which is what I need it for) it will not recline again. They came out on March 2, 2021 and the guy said they would have to order parts. Did not hear back and called on April 12. They did not seem to know anything about it and finally said they would a rush on the parts (1-2 weeks). Received a call on June 3 that the parts are in. They came on June 17 and the guy said that all the parts were not there. Tried to get a refund or a new chair but have had problems with that also. Was told parts were in again and the guy came out on August 7 and now said that they sent the wrong part. I emailed them same day and told them the situation and have not heard from them since. Along with all of this, they have sent me 2 notices that I owe money on this chair. If I cannot use this chair for its intended purpose I am not going to pay them any more money. I would just like to return this hair and get a refund for the first half that I paid.
Desired outcome: Return chair and receive my money back.
Entire order
There have been extenuating circumstances taken into consideration before writing this complaint, ranging from understandable covid delays through working with an employee no longer associated with WES. The entire process has been a disaster, and unfortunately no one wants to take accountability, let alone communicate resolve. I'm at a loss as to where to take this but at the very least, I can discourage anyone from doing business with them. This was a $20, 000 order and despite their corporate messaging, it appears meaningless to the powers that be.
Desired outcome: REPLACEMENT/REFUND
Dining chairs
I purchased custom order 4 dining chairs from the Orland Park location of Water E Smithe. On November 7 2020. I was informed by the d signer around Nov 15 that the fabric I chose was on backorder and I was asked to choose an alternative color in the same fabric family to speed up my delivery. After a couple of weeks, end of November I received a email from...
Read full review of Walter E. Smithe and 1 commentRecent Furniture Purchase
Please, please, please read the fine print regarding returns and exchanges at Walter E. Smith. Apparently their policy is to only issue exchanges - NO exceptions. Well, my sales person messed up. I originally ordered 3 pieces but had a change of heart about one of the pieces. I called to cancel that piece right away...was told by my sales person it would not be a problem. However, many weeks later the cancelled item was delivered in place of one of the items I did not cancel. The truck driver alleged he could put the unwanted item back on his truck ...for many reasons. We immediately called all involved parties including Walter E. Smith and I was reassured that the matter would be resolved. I was asked to hold the piece in my home for pick up the following week. Within a few days I learned that the piece I was actually expecting needed to be re-ordered for an exchange...apparently my sales person cancelled the wrong item. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, RIGHT. I was pretty sore about the entire transaction. I decided that I did not want to re-order anything and the unwanted (cancelled) piece needed to be picked up. Apparently, Walter E. Smith does not permit ANY REFUNDS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. My only option was an exchange. REALLY? I will never purchase another item from this furniture chain. Ive since learned that most of their pieces are overpriced and can be bought for several hundreds/thousand dollars less from other vendors. BE WARE!
I’m sorry this happened to you. I know it’s been 8 yrs since but it never changes how we view them. It was Sales problem and you suffered because of it. What a sad world we live in. And it has even gotten worse.
Defective quality
Spent THOUSANDS furnishing a new condo. Ordered sofa...defective. Couldn't get resolved.
Finally took offer to "reselect" new sofa for $719 difference (plus to reprotective coat cost). DEFECTIVE. Blamed US for ordering "plush" instead of "extra firm" cushions for sinking seat...though our designer agreed we had ordered extra firm cushions.
Offered nothing. With repeated complaints, offered to replace cushions with NO guarantee. WHAT? It's their merchandise, why can't they guarantee the quality? Then NOTHING even though complained also to "Mr Smithe".
GO ELSEWHERE...have spent the MOST money for UNsatisfactory merchandise in my life. You are better off getting something off the floor a more reputable merchant. Their ads are cute...too bad they can't match it with service and product.
This client's experience is not typical and the anonymous comments do not accurately reflect our policies and practices. I am always available to make sure all our clients get satisfaction. Contact me anytime and I'll be happy to help.
Mark Smithe
[protected]
marks@smithe.com
Once again it sounds like the Smithe return policy has claimed another victim. Hopefully these clown wont be around much longer... this economy has brought down much larger fish.
Defective Merchandise--will not rectify
We spent THOUSANDS of dollars there furnishing our new condo...first sofa was defective. Difficulty getting it rectified but offered to provide a new sofa at a significant discount. We took it, but it too had cushion defects.
The complaint person Doris tells us WE ordered the wrong cushions ("plush" instead of extra firm) even though our designer agreed with us that extra firm was ordered.
Originally offered nothing, but with our on-going complaints, offered replacement with NO guarantee. WHAT? It's their merchandise, why can't they guarantee it?
Besides, we'd have to pay to protective coat the new ones. With more complaints, directly to "Mr Smithe"...NO resolution/nothing.
GO elsewhere. We have spent a total of $4000 and still have no coach that is suitable. Their ads are cute, but I am thoroughly disgusted and dissatisfied. I'm 56 and this is the worse furniture buying experience in my lifetime...for the most money ever spent!
Also, WHO your designer is makes all the difference in the world.
You can get better elsewhere for a more reasonable price.
I just came upon this review again today. I believe we contacted the client and resolved her concerns. Her experience is in no way typical of the satisfactory purchases our clients make. If she or anyone needs assistance, I can be reached directly at [protected] or marks@smithe.com anytime. I will be more than happy to help and make sure you get satisfaction.
Sincerely,
Mark Smithe
Owner
Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc.
1251 W. Thorndale Ave
Itasca, IL 60143
Do not shop there!
I placed an order with Walter E. Smithe for an oversized couch, chair and ottoman for the living room of a new condo I was purchasing. The sales person told me to go ahead and place the order since it would take a couple months to complete the order.
The next day I called the salesperson to say I reviewed the measurements for the living room and the furniture would not fit. This call and several other phone calls I placed were not returned so I finally went back to the store. The salesperson and the manager told me they would not modify the order or give me a refund because they have a "72 hour change policy" -- even though I did notify them within this time frame. To compound the problem, I paid with this purchase taking advantage of their zero interest plan (this is done through their finance company Household Financial).
I made several calls and wrote several letters to the owner and to Household. Household refused to help and no one at Walter E. Smith wanted to listen. I also wrote to the Better Business Bureau and their advice was to file a claim in small claims court. After a great deal of wasted time and money, I settled this dispute with the store to keep my credit report clear. I paid them nearly $1000 and never received any goods or merchandise in return. No one at Walter E. Smithe ever apologized and they refused to take responsibility. I have never been treated this poorly by any merchant ever. My advice would be DO NOT SHOP AT WALTER E. SMITHE FURNITURE. Fields and other furniture retailers are much more reliable.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Yup... sounds about right. A very small return window to compliment the very pushy sales people that work their
I am one of the owners at Walter E. Smithe. I am sorry you had an unsatisfactory experience and would like to learn more and work out a better solution for you. Please call me at [protected].
Sincerely, Mark Smithe
Customer Service
September 1st we order a couch from the Walter E. Smithe in Vernon Hills. We ordered it knowing we would need it for our party on December 22nd so made sure to order it months ahead. In the beginning of November we got a call from our sales person and she said that our order had been canceled. I asked when this had happened and she said 3 weeks ago! So I...
Read full review of Walter E. Smithe and 12 commentsCompletely dissatisfied company
Walter E. Smithe - www.smithe.com
My husband and I have spent over $10,000 at this store and have had the worst experience. Both delivery times, no one has called us to give us a window and we have had to wait home all day. The order dept could not tell us anything!
Secondly, we explained that we absolutely needed our furniture by Oct 1st. The company delivered it the second week in Sept, but unfortunately, one chair was the wrong fabric (although it was correct on my order form). I immediately (within 2 hours of delivery) explained to my sales person that I wanted to either receive the correct chair by October 1st, or cancel the order. You would think that is not an issue since they had to re-order the whole thing. The order processing person, nor my salesperson returned our phone calls for almost a week. I had to track down the store manager, who just put me on the phone with the order department. Finally, my case went to Mr. Smithe himself. He agreed that delivery prior to mid to late October was impossible, but he refused to cancel my order citing small print on the contract that the store is can make mistakes, have defects, etc and the customer cannot do anything to cancel order. You would think that a cancellation of one chair on an order of over $10,000 with an expectation of more to come would be a no-brainer. Maybe it was in the contract, but what about some customer service! Finally, he agreed to give $250 credit. But low and behold, this is only on future orders. What! I don't want to step foot in this place again, much less purchase something in the future.
I would never recommend this place to someone, and I continue to discourage people from shopping there. Hope the profit on a $1000 chair was worth it Mr. Smithe!
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I purchased a bedroom set from Walter E Smithe a few years ago and although it took MONTHS for delivery, all said and done, it's a beautiful set. When we moved into our new home we decided to go back and purchase a new sectional. What an incredible mistake that was. It is just now 2 years old and looks like garbage. It sinks in the middle of the sofa portion, the fabric has stretched terribly and the cushions inside must be simply disintegrating because the back inserts on the couch are only now about half full. I've called them to complain, had 2 different service calls where both men agreed the sofa was not in good shape considering the time we've had it, not to mention it's nearly $6, 000 price tag! They've just called to tell me that they've determined that it's natural wear. WHAT? We have a 10 year old sectional in another room that was half the cost and it has held up wonderfully. I am disgusted with how this has been handled especially since my conversations with their in home service people were apparently vastly different from what they actually reported to the company! What's worse is that a friend of mine and I shopped together and bought the SAME EXACT (different fabric) set and is having similar issues. My advice is shop elsewhere because you're going to spend A LOT for really poor quality over the long term. They told me if I wasn't happy with the couch I needed to report it within the first 14 days. I had no idea I was paying thousands of dollars for a sectional only meant to last less than 2 years. Horrible.
I wish I had read these comments before we bought. We received a sectional, chaise, and ottoman on 12/23/14. We had specified that we wanted a couch that had 4 sections plus the chaise. We received one that had 3 sections plus the chaise. The delivery worker told us this couch did not come in 4 sections. There was no way we could have known this from the order form. We had told the designer what we wanted but did not get it. When I spoke with the designer the next day she seemed to indicate that we had not known the size we needed which is completely false, since we brought in measurements. We were told we could order another section. This should have been made clear at the time of purchase.There was no offer to reduce the price, no offer to make things right, no customer service. I don't know if this was a huge misunderstanding on her part or a conscious bate and switch. In any event, there is no way we can prove anything, and we will never set foot in the store again.
Thanks you may have just saved me over $5, 000 the red flag was when I was told they would hold the price for me if I gave them a check/credit card for $100.00. I was waiting for my husband to be able to visit the store and view the selection I had wanted as we both respect each others opinions. Anyway when the salesperson said I would not get the $100 back i would get a store credit that kind of concerned me, if he didn't like my selection I have not idea when I might be back to cash in my store credit.
I always thought this was a class operation but am surely having doubts after reading all these reviews and my own experience
I am one of the owners at Walter E. Smithe. The comments on this page do not represent the usual experiencesof our clients, nor do they accurately describe the way we serve our clients and operate our company. We have been in business since 1945 by taking good care of our clients. If I can help anyone who has commented here or anyone else reading this page in any way, please contact me anytime. Until then, I remain at your service.
Sincerely,
Mark Smithe
[protected]
marks@smithe.com
Yea this seems to be par for the course. I too got swindled by the tiny print and the totally bogus return policies. I shouldve known better when I saw the salesmen being too pushy. These guys try to pretend like theyre chicago legends yet theyre just brats that got a free company from daddy. Heres a great idea, treat customers well and they will come back to you.
My husband and I spent over 25k at walter e smith and come to find out that the sofa is a peice of CRAP.It is squeaking all over the place the cores damaged after one year.We call themto send us new cores and they are charging us shipping(some nerve)...So my advice NEVER, NEVER SHOP AT WALTER E SMITH...
I used to work for them. They are robbers and it's planned to be that way. The rude treatment, the non-refund policy and the myth of a caring company is just that...a myth. Folks, get a licensed interior designer to do your home planning, not a 60 day wonder fresh out of college with a communication's degree.
This company has no interest in furniture and design as they claim. They hire sales people with no interior design experience and call them decorators. My sister purchased thousands of dollars of furniture and when I arrived at her home to look at it, I immediately noticed the furniture was too large and overpowering the room. She called the so called decorator and oh well too bad for her. Every time I see one of the Company's brotherly images and commerical it makes me sick. This company is totally driven by the almighty dollar and have not passion for design! It would be nice if they would do both. Forget the expensive commercials and hire designers who know what they're doing.
My family and friends will NEVER EVER buy anything from this store again . I cant 'believed how low quality of furniture and service they provide. Go bankrupt ...walter e smith.
I put a deposit of $1200 down on a table at Walter E. Smith, Crystal Lake, IL. The sales person said I may have to pay a 10% restocking fee if I changed my mind. She said nothing about them cashing the check first thing the next morning, and then refusing to give any of my money back. After talking to the store manager and the ordering person, the matter was referred to "Mr. Smithe" . "Mr. Smithe" decided that I could have an in-store credit to buy something else in the store.
Why would I want to purchase anything from a store that has refused to return my money?
"Mr. Smithe" acts like the Wizard of Oz. We were told by the store manager that he runs everything, makes all the decisions, and this happens all the time.
I have set a deadline and if I don't get my money back, I will file a complaint with the BBB, Attorney General, and plan to picket the store in person on a Saturday with signs. I am NOT letting this ""Wizard of Oz" coward swindle me out of a deposit. They think they are above state consumer law, and I am out to prove they are not.
I will NEVER EVER buy anything from this store again. And i don't plan to be FORCED into buying it either.
What does this SMITHE company have - a bunch of 1-time customers?
If anyone is with me to picket this store, let me know.
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Overview of Walter E. Smithe complaint handling
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Walter E. Smithe Contacts
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Walter E. Smithe phone numbers+1 (800) 948-4263+1 (800) 948-4263Click up if you have successfully reached Walter E. Smithe by calling +1 (800) 948-4263 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached Walter E. Smithe by calling +1 (800) 948-4263 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached Walter E. Smithe by calling +1 (800) 948-4263 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached Walter E. Smithe by calling +1 (800) 948-4263 phone number+1 (630) 285-8000+1 (630) 285-8000Click up if you have successfully reached Walter E. Smithe by calling +1 (630) 285-8000 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached Walter E. Smithe by calling +1 (630) 285-8000 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached Walter E. Smithe by calling +1 (630) 285-8000 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached Walter E. Smithe by calling +1 (630) 285-8000 phone number
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Walter E. Smithe emailscatherinep@smithe.com99%Confidence score: 99%
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Walter E. Smithe address1251 W. Thorndale Avenue, Itasca, Illinois, 60143, United States
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Walter E. Smithe social media
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Checked and verified by Maria This contact information is personally checked and verified by the ComplaintsBoard representative. Learn moreMay 13, 2024
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