Getting the Chair...

It started because my wife wanted a new recliner. She had grown tired of the foam deteriorating from under our current recliner, also known as the place Dad sleeps. IT had served us well for the past 6 or 7 years, and deserved a new home or at least not me.

We looked at various furniture places, and as before, Sandy does not want leather which does limit our choices, and we both would like a “reasonably priced” piece, not one where we need a second mortgage just to buy it.

We looked at cheap, but they were just that, cheap. We looked at expensive, but it was insane and most of them are too large for our little house. Finally, we went to Lazyboy, and if we looked at sale items, we found fabric and comfort and good pricing as well. We did not find Brooke Shields, but she can’t be everywhere (she is their spokesperson if you see TV much).

We ordered it and paid for it and had a three week wait, but it arrived last week. No IKEA for us this time, but we did choose to pick it up rather than have it delivered because my wife is always certain everything will fit in the car and it will save us money of course (although it turns out maybe not).

We drove out to pick it up in Burlington, some 20 minutes away. There is no delivery per se, but they place it on a loading platform and the salesperson opens the loading gate for you to get it from four or five feet in the air down to your car.

It arrived in a box! The box would have been a good home for a homeless person as it was that big. There was no way that box was going in the car but we struggled to try and have it fit. That being a bust, we opened the box and pulled out the two pieces of the chair? What two pieces, this is not IKEA, things come together (if you have them delivered they do!) “No worries”, we’re told, “the pieces just slide into each other when you get it home”. This was a standard line given to all surprised customers who are dumb enough to carry it home.

Off we go home, and between ourselves we carry in the smaller part (easy) and the larger base part, much more difficult because of its width. We have to manoeuvre through the front doorway but it all goes pretty well. We try and slide the pieces together and no way will this thing go. We read an attached brochure and try to follow directions, but not happening! I go to their web site and download the instructions, print them out and try again. Nothing!

We work at bending steel parts but we still seem to be about one half of an inch apart. We call the saleswoman and she says it’s not that hard, you need screwdrivers on both sides and bend it together and it will work. No way! On top of it all, if we tear it, it will be our fault and the warranty will be void.

We call again and say we are bringing it back, now! They try and convince us not to, but we decided it’s theirs if we can’t get it to work.

We struggle the parts into the car again, through the door, and off we go back to Burlington.  My wife goes in and I wait, and then we bring it around to the loading platform, once again, and raise it back up in the air so it is in their space.

The saleswoman can’t get a technician but finds a very charming older salesperson who says he can do this, and with much struggling, he does! He admits this is the hardest one he has ever seen, but once together it will never come apart anyway.

We work it back into the car with his help as it is now larger because it’s together, and it just fits.

We come home and get it into the house through the door with lots of struggle and help from my daughter who is sorry she is home at this time.

It’s in place as of now, with much struggle and two trips back and forth to Burlington.

If we had paid the $75 to deliver it, it probably would have been cheaper and certainly much easier.

I will not do this again.

This is a good one to sleep in as well.