ComplaintsforLian Interiors, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  01/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We Hired ******'s firm to design new features in a new home we purchased in July It was agreed that she would make interior design plans and we would also order some furniture We had many delays In the project due to some design flaws and items originally picked that had unrealistic lead times In the end Ligita has refused to order ************* as agreed and closed for 2 weeks at Xmas and now is trying to withhold our $8800 deposit and not fulfill the contract We have written her and are willing to take to civil court if necessary to have our monies returned

  Business response

  01/17/2023

  At our firm we take client satisfaction very seriously. We are a very small business striving to provide the highest quality interior design service with the utmost attention to detail to a very small group of clients at a time. Initially when hearing of this complaint we were highly stirred up looking for any place where there could have been miscommunication between us and the client. After many tries to resolve their questions and concerns amicably via e-mail and phone, we realized that the client kept presenting us with additional issues that did not seem to be very accurate.  Also, the furnishings selections that they liked during the presentation now seemed not right, mostly due to the price. We had a furnishings contract with a set minimum of furniture that the client committed to purchasing through our company in return for the design service we would provide for their ***** square foot home in *************. The client paid us a retainer of $8,300 (not $8,800 as they state) to secure my time to provide a professional design service. Throughout the process there was always a very detailed and regular communication on the furnishings selections. The quality level of furniture was decided to be above mid-grade and more on the higher end prior to it being selected. This was very accurately followed. We also communicated to the client that it might not be fully possible to furnish a ***** square feet of residence with higher end furniture that is all in stock, especially since the pandemic has created a havoc on freight lines and material availability at this time. The clients had agreed and also that we would review anything that is not in stock as we went along.

  
  Along the process the clients did not seem very responsive to presentations, selections, revisions or questions that were sent to them. As an example, there was a 22 day lapse between the furniture proposal presented on 10/31/22 and when the client actually responded on 11/22/22 after several remainder emails we sent to them. This was repeated several times. Most of the items originally were in stock, except the custom upholstery items for the living spaces that always take time to order. In the last proposal presented in December 95% of items selected were in stock. See copies of proposals attached. In our industry it is always a gentle balance between the quality, price and availability. We strive to find everything at the right look to be at the right price and be in stock, but that is not always possible to have all. This was explained and agreed upon. At some point the client started asking for cheaper reselections, to which we always responded within 24 hours. For a large list of reselections we responded within several days. With each e-mail we sent to the client, we kept reminding them that time is of essence. They were advised of the Christmas holiday closures in the interior design industry on November 30th. On December 6th  they were advised that our office will be closed for the Christmas break from December 16th until January 3rd and orders must be placed early the week of December 12th. See the e-mail thread attached showing dates and times of occurrence.

  
  On 2 separate occasions the proposal was finalized as per the revisions, but it seemed that the same questions kept being asked about how the retainer is applied to which we always answered via e-mail and also called to discuss in person. Our call was never answered, but instead now an accusation of not answering questions is being presented. Also, the client stated via a text message that our deposit request of 75% for the furniture order is too much. However, in retail stores unless you pay 100% upfront for furniture, no store will place an order. On December 15th the client came back with a final request to finalize the furnishings proposal after removing majority of the furnishings that were originally proposed, stating that if anything else is not in stock they will want their moneys refunded. Our office was closing as of December 16th. To revise a proposal with selections and pricing, review which items are in stock, plus then place furniture orders with confirmations and payments to our vendors can take up to a whole week. We advised the client that our calendar is completely booked for the remainder of the week (which was about 4 hours left before closing for the holidays) and that we are reopening on January 3rd , at which time we will proceed with the revisions and ordering of the furniture. At this point we received an e-mail from the client presenting us with an ultimatum that we either finalize the proposal immediately or they are cancelling the contract and want their money back. We feel that we gave our very best and contractually have fulfilled our obligations, and we also provided the client plenty of notices of any holiday closures. We feel that their response was unreasonable.
  
  As to the refund of the retainer, we have a contract. Over ****************************** the furnishings design for this project and the client is only refusing to work with us due to the Christmas holiday closure, which they were advised of several times within a reasonable time to still finalize the proposal prior to closing. We are holding the retainer as compensation for the significant amount of design work that has been completed for this furnishings project. We are a professional design service provider and expect to be compensated for the work that we do. If this was an hourly contract, the amount would have been more than double this retainer that they paid toward the furniture purchase commitment. Our design service was based on their commitment. We feel that we have done everything possible and on multiple occasions to resolve the situation, however our efforts have not been received. We will welcome legal action as it will give us an opportunity to seek additional compensation for the amount of work and design service that was actually provided if this was an hourly contract. After all, it was the clients choice to break the contract for an unreasonable excuse.

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