Pride Family Furniture - Summer Winds collection WARNING

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JeffJeff

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Feb 11, 2010
45
We purchased a set of their swivel chairs three years ago. On three of the chairs, the welds have broken where the base connects to the swivel and the chairs are unusable. The fourth is showing cracks. We contacted Casual Living where we bought them and they submitted a warranty claim. The company came back refusing to honor the warranty stating that they only had a three year warranty and it had expired.

Luckily I saved one of the tags from the chairs which clearly stated the following:

"SummerWinds frames feature the highest quality, heaviest gauge extruded aluminum with reinforced internal walls for extra support. Our solid case aluminum frame components are individually formed through the ancient art of sand casting. Each frame is hand-welded using full circumference 360 degree heli-arc welding technology and then inspected for both strength and appearance. Frames are then hand sanded and polished prior to finishing. The SummerWinds frame warranty covers structural failure for a period of 7 years. We don't just promise great quality, we put it in writing! The SummerWinds 7 year frame warranty backs up our reputation for providing the highest quality workmanship and materials."

So now it has been over a month in the middle of the summer without pool furniture, and the company has been non-responsive stating they are waiting for a report from their factory in China. According to Casual Living, they have three other customers in the same situation.

I highly recommend avoiding purchasing products manufactured by this company based on my experience.









 
Where did you buy the furniture through (what stores) I bought a tool box combo from HD and took it home in what appeared to be an undamaged box only to find the whole side caved in. When I took it back I made them open a new pallet right there and inspected it. I don't care if they open 10 of then to find one undamaged one. If you don't hold them to a standard and make them honor the warranty then they have essentially stolen from you by selling you an inferior products that is different than what you paid for.

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Bought the chairs at Casual Living in DFW area. They have been very supportive, it is the manufacturer that is not standing behind their product. Casual Living claims there are three other customers with a similar issue.
 
Here we are close to 2 months after the chairs broke without resolution to this issue. This company has admitted they no longer produce aluminum bases due to quality issues so they cannot be replaced as they originally stated. They still refuse to honor the warranty and are sending us disclaimers that were not shipped with the product at time of purchase trying to get out of backing the 7 year warranty we were promised.

They now want us to pay for shipping to and from their headquarters so they can send the chairs to Costa Rica for repair.

I highly suggest avoiding any products made by Pride Family Brands including Castelle, Prestige, or Expressions. They do not stand behind their products as they promise at time of purchase.
 
Since you gave your money to Casual Living, I would look to them for resolution. Let them deal with the manufacturer in whatever manner they choose.

They still have your money and, while I'm sure they are nice, they have nicely deflected their responsibility to satisfy you on the transaction that was between you and them.
 
Unfortunately, warranties are almost always handled by the manufacturer, not the retailer. The retailers give you a "return" period that you can take advantage of, but after that, the warranty is from the manufacturer. Think about a camera or appliance from Best Buy, or the SWG for you pool - after 30 or 45 days, you're on your own to deal with the manufacturer.

Having said that, the retailers often will support you in warranty claims, and might even exchange an item after the return period is up, but that's something they are doing extra and not required to do. Companies that value customer satisfaction and repeat business understand this and will go the extra mile. It sounds like Casual Living hasn't learned this yet.
 
Real bummer. I am sorry to hear about it for you. Cast metal is not meant to be welded. Especially AL. Oh yes, it can be done, but I bet anything they welded those joints cold. Poor design choice on their part.
 

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