Looking for leather furniture?

It may help to know where NOT to go.

To make a short story shorter, I received furniture that was called
the same style as what I ordered but was not in fact the same style.
What was pictured on the site has contrasting stitching color that
gives the furniture a unique look, what I received was furniture
that had matching stitching color !!


You do not want to buy Leather furniture made by
Legacy Leather Inc of Canada (www.legacy-leather.com).

They picture on the web sites styles that you can choose and the style
that you receive will be different. They will not be held
accountable for false advertisement or
misleading consumers. You can read my story below to see the full
story.

you do not want to by from a company who operated under several names
in Texas:

Onlyleather.com
The Leather Shoppe
leathershoppes.com
Leather Furniture Shoppes
Jim Winkler, Jr
Owner/President
8900 Westheimer Rd @Fondren
Houston, Texas 77063
Toll Free 1.800.388.8127
713.785.2622 Direct 713.785.3424 Fax

The owner who signs his name Jim W. (and who will not identify the
owner or legal rep of the company) but whose REAL name is Jim Winkler
Jr. does not hold himself accountable for his actions either as you
will see when you read below.
what you are about to read is the worst nightmare imaginable in the
furniture manufacturing and dealer business.

And you will see that both believe that they can get away with blaming
each other as a way of "blowing smoke" around the real issues.
Curious that when you do a search on "Legacy Leather" on the net that
the first company that comes up is www.leathershoppes.com The mud
slinging between the manufacturer and the dealer
For the sole purpose of getting each other off the hook. The result
is the consumer is left hanging. Jim Winkler the dealer even had
the nerve to tell me to take my brand new furniture to someone and
have the thread dyed !!! He paid so little attention to the
problem that he failed to realize I should have received white thread
and the actual thread received was black and brown !!!


My advise to anyone considering putting their head in the tigers mouth
is to remember that there is charge card protection and that you can
use this to turn the tables upside down on criminals.

From Legacy Leather Inc (the manufacturer)

Hello Stephen:

I have read your comments below. Unfortunately, we consider this to be
a
strictly retail issue between your retailer and yourself.

Dealers are trained to understand the product they sell.
Unfortunately, this
is one of the drawbacks a consumer faces when they order the furniture
over
the Net.

I will urge you try an reach an amicable resolution with your
retailer. As
far as Legacy is concerned we have manufactured a product which was to
specifications, which also underwent quality inspections and was
shipped as
required by the retailer.

We cannot be of much assistance in this matter.

Inayat Vasta
Comptroller

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Potis"
To:
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 10:23 PM
Subject: Wrong product shipped


Dear Staff:

We just received the Harbord Collection Sofa and Chair and ottoman.

We were surprised to see that what was shipped to us was not like what
is in the picture on your web site.

The picture shows a sofa with white stiching. We received leather
color matching stitching.

Our salesman at Leathershoppe.com says that color match thread is the
"default" and anything else you must
specify.

Why is the "default" something other than what is pictured?

What do you suggest that I do to get the product that I want or to get
fairly compensated for
for you sending me the wrong product?

Thank You
Steve



From the Dealer ( Jim Winkler Jr.(owner) at Leathershoppes.com) :

Mr Potis,

Did not mean to be flippant, I am "just the facts kind of guy".

All special ordered furniture comes a standard way, to deviate from
this is a special request, this includes omitting nail trim, firming
or soften cushions, contrast thread, 2 tone leather, basket weave,
enlarging or making smaller nails trim, etc. These options are rarely
used ,but are available, for us to ask every customer each of these
tends to complicate matters. Most customers are not sure how the
furniture was constructed when they saw it in the store.

If a customer has been to a local store and saw something then calls
us to buy it then we sell it a standard way unless they ask for
something special. According to my notes , you called and said this is
what I want, these two different colors one on the sofa and one on the
chair/ottoman.

The pictures posted are there just view the different styles, they are
provided by the manufacturer. They in no way represent all the options
or colors that can be applied to each one or demonstrate any of the
companion pieces available because there are no pictures of the other
items. There are over 200 colors available and each model has 10-20
sku's .This makes 100's of available combinations

Any product we are selling on the web with a shopping cart next to it
comes as shown unless the options are next to the item. We do not
have Legacy product available on a shopping cart to order right off
the web.

Having said all of that, it is possible to get that thread colored by
a leather professional who can redye each stitch by hand. Try locally
calling Total Leather Care or similiar, they specialize leather care,
restoration, redying, refinishing.

Regards,


Jim W.
Leather Shoppes Inc
LeatherShoppes.com
Phone:713.785.6011
http://www.leathershoppes.com
Fax:713.785.3424
----- Original Message -----
From: Stephen Potis
To: Jim.W
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 9:04 PM
Subject: Legacy Leather - Harbord Collection

So I guess you apologize from you and/or Legacy Leather?

It is bad enough that I just roll over and take what was sent, but
can't I
at least get an apology for Legacy's false advertisement, and
Leathershoppe's
negligence in not explaining the "option".

You explain it in such a matter of fact way, dont you think the
picture should show
the "default" ???

Am I the customer supposed to be the "in crowd" in order to know this?

I hope you have something better to say in the next email. I
promiss you I will take
the time to report the facts of my experience with Legacy Leather and
Leathershoppe on the newsgroups
on the internet.

Steve




Jim.W wrote:

The color comes matching thread as a default . You have to
specifically
request contrast stitching on your order to have them do this.

Regards,



Jim W.
Leather Shoppes Inc
LeatherShoppes.com
Phone:713.785.6011
http://www.leathershoppes.com
Fax:713.785.3424
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Potis"
To:
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 4:36 PM
Subject: Legacy Leather - Harbord Collection



Hello Staff:

We received the sofa, chair and ottoman that we ordered. It was
the
style Harbord Collection.

The picture on the web site shows a dark color with white stitching.

What we received are the colors we ordered and color matched thread.

We ordered one expresso color, and one lighter brown thinking the
stitching would "tie together"
the pieces in terms of style.

Well, it does not do this because the stitching is different that
pictured.

Can you do some research for us and find out what happened? We
did
not refuse the delivery because
we believed there would be a better way to resolve short of sending it
back to Canada.

Thanks
Steve