Friend purchased Natuzzi from Bloomingdale's...
mrsmarv
15 years ago
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thecollector
15 years agoKaren Eagle
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Natuzzi Furniture Levels
Comments (18)I'm a Service Manager at a furniture store that sells Natuzzi. Here's the lowdown on Natuzzi. There are 3 tiers of Natuzzi product lines - tier 1 is sold at lower end stores like Costco, are very affordably priced because low quality materials are used in in their construction and to further reduce the cost are made in China. Tier 2 is sold at higher end stores and branded under the Natuzzi Editions label. They use good qualitiy materials and as such are priced in the $1500-3500 range. They are also made in China. Tier 3 are branded under the Natuzzi Italia label and are premium price and quality in the $4000-10 000 range (NOTE: these are prices for 3 seater sofa only. Sectionals are multiple pieces and are obviously more based on that). These are crafted in Italy. Like all companies that are smart they have gone with the "good better best" formula to target all pricepoints and therefore all income levels/budgets. "Why can't everone own Natuzzi" is their line of thinking. Unfortunately this leads to the age old problem of selling products - (tier 1) which do not reflect the reputation for quality they built when Natuzzi was a high end only brand and very few could afford. I have learned through experience that most people who deep down know that price and quality are the same thing still want to believe they can beat this basic principle and get "better for less". This is called "consumer ego" and as a man I will freely admit men are terrible for this. How many conversations with your friends end with a slyly stated "I got a REALLY good deal. Discontinued, damaged, and previously owned are the only examples of truly good deals. Even a $10 000 sofa can be free on kijiji if the owner just needs it out of their house. Following price=quality also known as "reality" can be disappointing for those of us that are deal seekers. That lower priced item isn't really a good deal at all it's exactly what it's worth and by corollary that expensive item isnt a rip off it just costs a lot more to make it and therefore buy it. We sell the Editions line (tier 2) and have almost no complaints other than the usual ones that come from folks that have never owned leather and are not familiar with how it behaves over time. Leather stretch is one - all leather stretches as weight is placed on it and as a natural product (its just skin afterall) will not unstretch. This appears as rippling/puddling and not an example of poor quality. To illustrate close you eyes and imagine the comfiest leather chair in the world. Does this chair have tight puffed up out of the box look? Likely not. I think of a chair which has a relaxed casual appearance that literally envelops you when you flop into it. Since its the nature of leather it will never be accepted as a warranty claim because it is behaving exactly as it should (even if we dont like it). To continue its impotant to cover leather as it can be confusing. All cow hides are too thick to be used directly - noone does this - and are split apart into at least 2 layers. The top layer is called either full grain or top grain depending on the following treatments it goes through and are the only part of the hide that have the strength and resiliency that we expect from leather (leather is much longer lasting than fabric and is why its worth the extra money). Talk to a cowboy - leather is where its at! The second or internal layer is called a "split hide" and is considerably weaker and simply does not perform like leather. Because all hides will be split into these two types of leather both parts will be used in some way. Editions and Italia customers willing to pay more will have the top layer and will never have seam splits or tearing of any kind, the tier 1 customer will get the split or internal hide and will have both of two issues usually starting after 1-2 years because split hyde just cant take peoples body weight long term. Cracking is another issue that can happen to any leather but will for sure happen to split hides as it begins to fail under strain. Cracking on top grain and full grain is avoidable if its conditioned at least 2 times per year since cracking is just from moisuture loss and is added back when the conditioner is applied (its just skin remember). Most people who eventually experience cracking with full/top grain never gave their sofa a chance because they never bothered with essential care and maintenance which is why Natuzzi will only warranty cracking for 2 years. After that it was up to us to prevent it. When it comes to frames Natuzzi themselves are looking into exchanging particle board with actual plywood (good stuff). Note that particle board is only used on side walls and backs to make them solid to the touch (really cheap sofas when you tap the back and sides are just upholstery and are not solid). The main rails and supports are always solid wood. If you have had a frame break the retailer you purchased from is obligated to submit your claim to Natuzzi for review. Please note that Natuzzi will not deal directly with you as the reality is you are not their customer, the retailer is. As such all claims must be made through the store you bought it from - emailing Natuzzi direct will not get you help. In 8 years Natuzzi has never denied a claim that I have made on frames. To be clear though a replacement sofa is not the end result . Broken frames are just a snapped piece of wood and can easily be fixed or replaced by a furniture tech or frankly anyone who wants to do it ( furniture is super basic stuff!). No matter how upset we are about a frame issue repair is all they owe us. Warranties in furniture are the same as the auto industry - you never get a replacement car when you take it in for warranty work unless its destroyed as a result of a defect - basically never. So if you are the tier 1 customer and are feeling like Natuzzi doesnt "seem" to care - they do they just wish you bought one of their better lines and you wouldnt be having these issues. Remeber there is nothing wrong/immoral/illegal with selling low quality items as long as the pricepoint reflects it. A 2-3 year sofa is a 2-3 year sofa the Brick sells them all the time and are sub $1000 and therefore fair value. If everything was the same quality why would anyone pay more -ever? Hope that helps!...See MoreAre most hand-knotted rugs a rip off?
Comments (30)Well duh ...is be like dis....was the wool carded or comed? Is it merino wool, or lower grades like the crap off of the belly, natural dies or synthetics, and are they water proof and fade proof, what type of knot is used, is the design traditional, or a limited edition original, or a one only, is it real silk or that viscous crap, are the carpets soft , supple, light in weight or fold like thick cardboard...which is more common in Nepali and Indian rugs...but not always. The hand made rug industry is a very old and honoured tradition of protocols and rituals... one in which the buyer and seller often enter into a lifetime relationship....which only the rug itself will survive much longer after both you and the rug merchant be long gone and both your grand children are left to deal with the value of the antique rug. Now if your not in to doing the complete research into the art of hand woven rugs ( stay away from hooked rugs by the way) and aren't into establishing a relationship with the dealer and haggling over while hearing the stories of the weaver and his family who made your carpet or the message woven into the design...me most humbly suggest you log on to ebay and buy whatever turns your crank....See MorePurchased My First Le Creuset
Comments (37)I was so intrigued when I first learned about cooking with a tagine. I had to have one. In order to save water, people in Northern Africa came up with an ingenious cookware. Using a high, slopped lid to allow hot air rises to cooler top, forms condensation and returns to the food on the base. So cooking with a tagine only requires a few tablespoons of liquid. It makes sense since it would ensure fuller flavor without being diluted. I knew I should pick a true tagine made of clay with Moroccan pattern, but opted to one made by Le Creuset for its more durable cast iron base. Of course finding a royal blue color to match our existing collection helped too. I love cooking with Le Creuset Tagine. I brown, sauté the food in cast iron base first, add spices and liquid, close the lid and let it slow cook. While cooking, adding ice cubes in the small hole on top of the lid to promote condensation is fun. I started with Moroccan recipes, now I cook Indian, Italian, Chinese, African and American stew dishes with red, white meat or sea food. The dishes always turn out moisture, flavorful and tasty. add photo This post was edited by azmom on Sun, Aug 4, 13 at 11:00...See MoreNatuzzi Editions Sofa from Raymour & Flanigan?
Comments (7)Not sure if you're still looking, but i've owned one of these for two years and have two kids. Great couch for the price, and the leather has lasted well. As expected, the seats were firm when it arrived, but break in well over time. The seats only seem to sag if you dont spread the weight around while breaking it in...not bad construction, just worn cushion arra vs. not worn. The leather will stretch and look "wrinkled" - nothing terrible though. I do have strict rules for the kids - no school clothes on the couch, no jumping, no eating - and I'm sure that has helped. As for the "Paymour and Shenanigans" remark, I guess that poster is just a pushover. Bought furniture there multiple times (kitchen table, bedroom set, couch) and not only have I haggled well beyond the friends and family discount, but any issues that have come up were resolved quickly. Can't say the same about other furniture companies I've worked with. Caveat emptor doesn't apply here...it's a retail chain, not a garage sale. Overall, super comfortable for movie night, entertaining, and even falling asleep while watching tv. Get a lot of compliments on it....See Morethecollector
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