ComplaintsforSensational Home Staging

• Initial Complaint

  08/21/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  after deciding to work with this company I was sent a long contract that i signed and the furniture was brought in. The furniture provided was completely out of style with my house and I had small items around my house to indicate my preferred style which is contemporary, mid century modern , light colors , wood tones and small items since it is a small home, The furniture and staging provided where completely the opposite large, heavy, dated, old, not fitting within the space and wrong colors. Told ***** the same day that I wanted the items out asap. My realtor said we are better off without that furniture. The owner decided that she is entitled to the whole amount paid, **** usd and that she owes me nothing. She took the furniture out and said that just because she decides she will refund me 625. She said read the contract. I feel that the contract is not enforceable because I did not get the service. The furniture was in less then 24h total and she was told is not acceptable.

  Business response

  08/23/2021

  Semi asked us look at her property for Staging purposes on a Saturday and to get it Staged on Monday (2 days later). We sent her a proposal, and she asked to reduce the price of the staging, which we did by removing a couple of areas.  We require a signed Agreement prior to Staging in order to set expectations for the client and to share how we work. On Monday morning, Semi had still not signed the agreement stating she had been busy.  She finally did sign it in the later morning, and this confirmed her Staging delivery and services.  In the agreement it states that all selections are at our sole discretion, not once, but twice. It also shares there are no refunds once the client signs an agreement. This is because all the planning begins the moment we get a confirmed staging, and the bulk of the work is done prior to actually staging the property.  

  All of our furniture is contemporary - which means "today's style." None of our items are traditional - and Semi was incorrect about the age and style of the items used to stage her house. She had purchased some flimsy wicker small decor items, and had no other items or any sort of requests for us to stage with a particular color or style. We consider what our clients share, and then see what their timeframe and budget allows us to do. When Semi shared she did not like some of the items we had used, we made a special trip to swap items out - which normally costs close to $500 (per the signed agreement), and we did not charge Semi for this service. But Semi never shared anything, so we staged it according to our expertise and knowledge about the market and target buyer, including the right on trend colors and styles. Semi is not the buyer - she is selling and needed to step aside and detach emotionally from the property, and let the pros do what we do.  Furthermore, the Staging is not subject to her approval - it is up to us 100% to make all creative decisions on the property based on our extensive experience and expertise. We are the most awarded staging company in ********, and the most credentials. We know much more than a seller does about what is needed to stage a property for the target buyer. 

  Semi signed the agreement and then was surprised that we stand behind it. She wants us to ignore the agreement and explanations of all terms and various aspects of the staging process simply because she did not bother to read in detail what she signed. She claims she was rushed, but SHE was the one ******* the process because she decided last minute to stage, and had a photographer set for Monday morning and wanted to get her house on the *** as soon as possible. Her not reviewing the agreement is her responsibility and she needs to not blame others for her lack of attention to business details. Our agreement is our only protection for our business and provides clear information that helps things go more smoothly. We are not doing anything other than standing behind our policies. We know how we staged her house was appropriate for the budget, timeframe and target buyer. She felt she knew better, wanted control of the process and furnishings (even though she never did provide any concrete photos or ideas on what she was looking for), and did not even let our Staging work its magic.

  Semi was still not happy and said she wanted the items removed. I reminded her in writing there were no refunds, and she said to come pick up.  We removed the items at her request. Yesterday she texted asking for a full refund. I shared there were no refunds per our agreement, to which she threatened me with bad reviews, legal action, and called our company horrible (even though we are top 2% in the world, are award-winning ec.) and wrote other negative things because she didn't like hearing, "no." I kept things professional and shared the details of what she signed, and she continued to rant.  Our minimum rental period is 30 days, per the signed agreement. These terms are also shared in our staging pricing proposal - which the client reviews prior to receiving the staging agreement. Even though we are not obligated to refund any money as it clearly shares in our agreements that clients sign, we decided to refund a portion of the fees paid and issued a credit back to Semi for $625.00.  The rest of the fees paid went to pay for the service she did receive of professional home staging.  We planned for her staging, loaded up furniture, loaded up all the decor and art, delivered it to the property, staged the house, and came back a 2nd time to swap, and then came a 3rd time to pick up.  The costs for movers and truck, plus staging team need to be paid, and as a courtesy, we refunded Semi for the days she did not use the staging items.  Her request for all her money back is not reasonable. She does not deserve special treatment just because she failed to fully read what she signed, and we know our staging was on par for her timeframe, budget and property.  

  I have attached the signed agreement for your reference. You will see we do our best to share, up front, how we work, our expectations, what the client can expect, etc. Had Semi read this more thoroughly, she would not be filing complaints against us and instead take responsibility for her choices, and lack of trust in the process. She would have understood we have 100% creative control, and we are working to help her achieve her goal of a great sales price for her property.  

  Her resolution goal has already been met. She was issued a refund in the amount of $625 and she agreed to that amount in writing prior to our sending it to her - as a compromise between our two viewpoints.  Proof of this refund was sent to her prior to her filing this complaint. From our standpoint, she is now just being vindictive because she did not get her way, yet she got more than she deserved based on a legally enforceable document that she signed.  

  Business response

  08/26/2021

  This is the signed agreement that shows Semi accepted ALL terms and conditions. 
  
  - ******

  10.3.1

  Customer response

  08/31/2021

  I would like to understand why I was charged for services that were not appropriate with the needs I had for the house and after explaining that the services were not appropriate they still went ahead and charged me even if I did specify that I would like for them to remove the staging they placed and to refund me 
  They failed to communicate that they will charge no matter what, even if the services are not ok 
  They say that the contract states that they have complete control but they do not have control to provide services that are not ok and not acceptable by the client 
  I did not take advantage of them and not pay , I clearly stated that I am not happy and had them remove the furniture asap in less than 24h and I do not think that that should be a service that is charged for 
  I think I was charged unfairly and I would like a full refund
  I would appreciate if we could reopen this and address this complaint 
  Thank you 
  Semi

  Business response

  09/01/2021

  This is the signed agreement that shows Semi accepted ALL terms and conditions. 
  
  - ******

  Customer response

  09/01/2021

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the agreement is valid if the services are acceptable to the customer

  I specifically communicated to ***** the first day she brought her furniture that it is not acceptable and that I need her to remove it from my house  The service was not acceptable and I do not think I should be charged for it.

  I think *****, the owner, was informed immediately that I did not accept the service and she removed the furniture in less than 24h therefore accepting the fact that I was not happy with her service. She was also informed by me that I expect a full refund since I was not happy with her service and she did not reply back saying  that she will not refund me therefore she made me believe that she will refund

  Also the decision to partially refund me shows that she accepted that she did not provide me with services that I was happy with but she decides to only refund me part of my money based on what? The partial refund is something that she decided on her own without my approval and without considering that i did not benefit anything from her services 

  If you go anywhere and order a product or a service and if they do not deliver up to your expectations normally you do not have to pay or you can return for a refund. ***** is one of the very few business owners that does whatever she wants and refunds whatever she decides without any consideration for her customer. I do not think that this is ok and I expect a full refund   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  Semi Condoianis

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