Our goal at Couch.com is to provide customers with the information they need to find the best couch for their home. We take customer satisfaction very seriously. So how does West Elm stack up to the competition when it comes to customer friendly resources and offerings? Truthfully, they could be much, much better in this regard.
West Elm’s Warranty:
- I scoured West Elm’s website and I could not find any specific warranty information. That’s never a good sign. The best I could find is that they say they’ll try to replace or refund products that have manufacturer’s defects. But there’s no timeframe listed for this potential service and there’s no further information about how any of this is handled. This always makes me very wary.
- A 3-year Allstate Protection Plan is available for $299.99 that covers accidents, spills, and incidentals. This is a nice option to have, though I’d like to see a legitimate West Elm warranty offering, too.
West Elm’s Return Options:
- Quick Ship upholstery items can be returned within 7 days of receiving the order. Depending on the reason for return, customers may be responsible for return shipping and processing costs. These costs are not outlined, but we can extrapolate that they’ll be hundreds of dollars based on the shipping costs alone.
- Another section of their Help Center states that Quick Ship upholstery items can be returned within 30 days for a full refund, though delivery fees are non-refundable. They also state that after 30 days they’ll only replace or refund products that have manufacturer’s defects. This is much better than the 7 days they mention elsewhere, but I’d recommend you decide about your return within 7 days just in case.
- “Made to Order” items are NOT eligible for return. That includes any couch order where you chose a fabric option that wasn’t specifically listed as “Quick Ship.” Even then, some Quick Ship couches were labeled as “Made to Order” when I went to add them to my cart. So be extra vigilant when shopping.
West Elm’s Delivery Options & Costs:
Unlimited Flat Rate shipping is your only option for delivery. It’s a full, white glove delivery service that will bring the couch into your room of choice, perform all necessary assembly, and remove the packaging material. The price for their Unlimited Flat Rate shipping is established based on the distance from the warehouse to your home and the amount of items in your order. Here’s what you can generally expect from the pricing:
- 0-50 miles = $279
- 51-99 miles = $299
- 100-199 miles = $379
- 200+ miles = $429
West Elm’s Financing Options:
- West Elm has partnered with Affirm to offer monthly financing plans starting at 0% APR. However, they do not specify the monthly repayment timelines available in their plans until you checkout.
Is Assembly Required?
- No, West Elm’s unlimited flat rate shipping is a white glove service that performs any necessary assembly. These are fully-assembled pieces so the assembly process is generally just attaching legs or connecting sectional pieces together.
West Elm’s Customization Options:
- Customizations are generally limited to your choice of fabric. A select few couches allow you to customize the depth and/or the cushion style (for example, multiple seats or a bench seat).
Does West Elm Offer Free Fabric Swatches?
- Yes, you can order up to 15 fabric swatches for free. You can either add fabric swatches to your cart on individual couch product pages or you can order through their fabric swatch page.