Ashley HomeStore Facing Heat Over Customer Service Struggles; Damaged Or Incomplete Orders And Slow Refunds

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Incomplete orders, struggles to get refunds and exchanges, hour-long calls with customer service. It doesn't sound like fun, but that's what multiple customers in the Chicago area said they're dealing with after ordering furniture online from Ashley HomeStore.

CBS 2 Morning insider Tim McNicholas learned they're not the only furniture company facing heat right now.

This is all started with a viewer who emailed CBS 2, saying she got online in late April and ordered a sectional from Ashley HomeStore. A couple weeks later, she got only part of that order.

"The delivery personnel came in, and only delivered half of the couch. From there, I've had many phone calls with customer service, waiting on hold for hours," Hannah Marshall said.

Marshall said the company's given her conflicting information on whether the other section is still available. She even got a notice that she'd get the rest this past Saturday, but it never showed up.

Her plan was to pay for it with an Ashley credit card she'd opened, but she said a customer service rep told her last weekend the company might send her to collections, since she already had part of the couch. So she cancelled the card.

"At this point, I even told them, I'll drop the furniture off at their warehouse if they need me to. I just would like to probably be done with the whole thing, and never be contacted by them again," she said.

Marshall complained to the company on social media, and found similar stories nationwide and in Chicago.

Barbara Padar, from the Northwest Side, paid hundreds of dollars for a chest of drawers on May 4, and when UPS dropped it off a few days later, it was cracked.

Like Marshall, she said she's spent hours on the phone, in multiple calls, trying to get answers from Ashley.

"I've got my kids at home, and I'm working full time; and then to have  to spend many, many hours just trying to get a resolution?" Padar said.

Ashley agreed to an exchange, but she's still waiting on the replacement.

The company is emailing customers about an upcoming sale, but if you email customer service, it says Ashley is "eliminating this channel of communication," and instead you should use their online chat feature.

Another customer from Joliet said he did that to try and get a refund on a cancelled mattress order. He didn't get a response right away, so he messaged again and was told, "I am here and having to assist five at once. I apologize and appreciate your patience."

Then they told him he'd get his refund, but that was April 28th. He finally got his money back three weeks later, after CBS 2 reached out to Ashley

"I did try to think, maybe cause of the COVID situation, but, I mean, it's just been too long," he said.

He finally got his money back Tuesday after CBS 2 reached out to Ashley.

Ashley released the following statement regarding the situation:

"Ashley is currently looking into this situation and working with these customers directly on a resolution. During this pandemic, our company is continuing to hire additional customer service associates to support the increasing demand."

Ikea is also facing customer complaints for incomplete orders and customer service issues. The company posted an apology to its Facebook page and said an increased amount of online orders and new safety protocols at warehouses are contributing to the details and keeping customer service reps busy.

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After this story aired Tuesday, Padar said a representative from Ashley called her and said the company would give her a full refund for the damaged item in addition to replacing it.

Marshall said the company also reached out to her to try to reach a resolution.