Design With Consignment

Martin G.

Joined 7 months ago

My partner and I came in to this store and saw a great piece that was going to fit our place perfectly. We thought we struck gold. Then we found out someone else had a one day hold on the piece. We were ready to buy, but no problem. At the suggestion of the staff, we placed a back-up hold.

The first customer's hold was to expire the following day at end of business, so I called with about 15 minutes to close and found out that the other customer had not yet purchased. I made it clear we would buy (with a credit card, over the phone) right away. The staff told me that the other customer had a sick father, so they wanted to give her an additional few hours. They insisted if she didn't buy by 11 AM the following morning, we would "get a call by 11:05" to be given the chance to buy. When we didn't hear anything by 11:30 the next day, my partner called. At first, the staff told us that the customer was "in the store now, but still hasn't decided." We pressed them, insisting that her hold has expired and now it was our turn to buy. The staff then admitted that the other customer was "on her way in to make a decision, but still had not purchased."

At this point, I interrupted my work day and called them as well. I didn't think this was the right way for them to do business. They had set the rules. They broke them once. They broke them again. Then they lied to us openly and broke their own rules once more. Unfortunately, I can't do business here again after the way we were treated. I can appreciate making accommodations for a customer, but it shouldn't be at the expense of another.

Frankly, although the staff denied it, it seemed to me that one salesperson was changing the rules to ensure they received the commission, rather than the salesperson who assisted us. That may not have been the case, but that's how it appeared. We were never given any explanation for why they made the decisions to allow the other customer additional time, over and over, to make up her mind - at our expense. We weren't even given so much as an apology for the runaround. They did tell us they "would have done the same for us", but, in fact, they didn't do anything for us except waste our time.

Based on our experience, I could not recommend Design With Consignment to friends or family.

henry18

Joined 7 years ago

These people are crooks. I consigned my furniture there and they never gave me my money. I would not consign anything with them. You can give your furniture to Goodwill instead.

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jagriffin

Joined 6 years ago

quality merchandise and quick delivery. Lisa and David were very helpful and offered great merchandise for my vacant home staging project. I really appreciated the quality and selection as well as the timeliness of delivery on a tight schedule. They were there to oversee delivery and placement and went above and beyond to collaborate with me to make sure the end result was fabulous. I will definitely work with them again for future staging projects!

Jan Griffin, Griffin Interior Makeovers

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pilotskid27

Joined 6 years ago

Head and shoulders above any consignment shop in Austin!. I've found my new favorite store-- Design It With Consignment!

Okay, I'll admit it---I hate paying retail. I will delay making a purchase on something for weeks, months (or in one case, years) just to make sure I get a bargain.

Therefore, I do a lot of shopping in consignment shops--because I can save money. In the process, I have become accustomed to digging through piles in dusty, un-airconditioned warehouses, in hopes of finding a treasure. I've also gotten accustomed to buying things that "needed a little work" because I thought I was saving money.

Well, I'm thrilled to say, those days are over! From the moment I walked into this BEAUTIFUL boutique-like shop, I had to ask, "Where is all the used stuff?"

The furniture in this shop is all arranged in elegant room settings (no dusty piles here!); and it looks like brand new! The lady told me that people sometimes get upset with them because they won't take in stuff that is damaged, dirty, or out-of-date. That's a GOOD thing as far as I'm concerned--I don't have to sort through junk to get to the good stuff---everything is good stuff!

I found an amazing dark cherry Heckman end table that I had seen on an internet discount furntiure site "discounted" to around $800....the Design It With Consignment price? $245 !!! I've been there several times, and it's like a different store every time because stuff sells FAST!

The staff is friendly and knowledgable. They have mastered the skill of staying close enough to be helpful without breathing down your neck.

So, if you are looking for a great price on some beautiful furniture--give this place a try--you will be SO glad you did!

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Editorial Review. Shop gives Austin customers a place to buy and sell quality used furniture and other home items.