(WXYZ) — Have you been thinking of buying new furniture with your tax refund or stimulus check? Before you fall in love with an item, make sure you ask if that item is in stock.
Many companies are still dealing with ongoing problems of furniture delays.
Melissa Taylor showed our team through Zoom her couch that was damaged last July
“We woke up one morning to a flood in our family room, and the water fell from the ceiling onto our couch," she said.
She and her husband rushed out to a local furniture store and ordered a new one, but her six-week wait has turned into a six-month wait.
"I don't have the couch yet. It has been the biggest nightmare," she said.
When she finally reached someone at the store, she got some bad news.
"They haven't started production on my couch, so here I am just waiting," she said.
It's happening to furniture buyers nationwide, and not just at one store. In August, Cindy Roekker told our team she'd been waiting four months for a vanity from Ikea.
"I'm at my wit's end and I'm starting to panic because I need a bathroom vanity," she said.
Sean O'Brien, the CMO of Modloft, a contemporary furniture brand, blames a combination of soaring demand during the pandemic and months-long delays getting fabric from places like India, China and Vietnam.
"60 percent of our items are on backorder currently. There are all sorts of places along the line where things can get backed up and we have to be very good with communicating with the customer what is happening and when," O'Brien said.
So, what can you do if you need that furniture right away? Consider an upscale used furniture store where you can get pieces you can take home right away.
Other ideas including being patient, asking what the store has in their local warehouse, considering the floor model and being flexible with style and color.
Remember, if your piece of furniture has to be ordered, realize it could take more than a few weeks, it could take a few months.
