I got annoyed without being able to "order to store" anymore. I had 3 bar chairs I ordered and got charged 90 bucks for shipping, which I believe was a once a year charge for unlimited delivery. After a year goes buy I wanted another and then of course got charged 90 again since the year had passed. The shipping also took FOREVER, I think I waited 8 weeks to get my first three chairs, and it was 2 weeks after my order that they called me and told me they wouldn't be shipping in the time quoted prior.

You used to be able to order to store to avoid the shipping charges, but now they only stock some lighting and other household items.

I also find that the quality of their stuff has gone down, and that the one style they've moved to is too boring and overpriced for my liking, but of course that's just my opinion.

now i remember why i don't shop there anymore!

That's a shame. I ordered 3 pieces of hardware from them a few years ago and had to exchange a few and they were so easy. I was willing to say they were okay even though half the stuff I got from them had a bad finish just because of it.

The thing that gets me is that you can get similar pieces online from reputable companies that don't charge shipping and will replace things for free, often without even making you send the defective items back! And if you do have to send it back, they'll usually send the replacement before the receive the defective item. And as much as I've heard here about people having quality issues with RH cabinet hardware, it made me hesitant to go with their stuff. I feel like the statistics of getting defective items are much lower with other cabinet hardware manufacturers and it's much less hassle to deal with them.

They should rename the store Restoration Couch, since that's about the only thing you can buy there any more.

When I ordered my bajillions of pulls in November in Seattle, the store didn't have any of the ones I wanted. They waived the shipping charge for me since they weren't in stock. Glad I ordered before they changed their policy. At least I'm very pleased with the quality. Not sure I'd order any of their current furniture.

RH along with so many others are evolving into non entities. Who are these marketing people they are hiring? Although the only thing I ever ordered from JCP was their custom slipcovers, this has gone away. Stock is low and who cares about the deal of the day/week.

Most of these stores are no longer stocking either. They buy directly from a 3rd party distributor which means we are actually dealing with another seller and dependent upon the 3rd party rules.

Funny about the restoration couch. My daughter works at a high end used furniture store. They had a beautiful antique couch, wood and upholstery in perfect condition. But there was no upholstery on the back and all the burlap and springs could be seen. I told her to put a sign on it and say it was an RH original.

I was looking at some bedding there. The sales person told me that if I wanted to order it, she would "see" if they'd waive the shipping charges if I picked it up at the store. She called to check, then informed me I'd have to pay shipping for one item but not the other. I passed. I never heard of paying shipping to the store. Ridiculous.

I have purchased many things from RH including just about everything for the bathroom -- washstand, sconces, faucets, mirrors, medicine cabinets. (Even towels, which are very nice). A lot of it is made in China now. The medicine chest mirror is delaminating and RH refuses to do anything. The product is clearly defective. I will no longer buy anything from them, ever again.

I got a nice gift certificate to RH from my daughter some years ago. I bought a ton of their white towels which I love and I'm now spoiled. Now I either have to find a way to brighten them back up or find another source of thick lush towels.

I've bought their towels in past and have been very happy. But had to go in person every time and returns always have been a mess with their system.

In past, they waived shipping if they didn't have stock in store when I went there.

In general, I don't pay ridiculous shipping and don't pay shipping that escalates with cost. Too many sources out there for that.

Another thing I'd like to point out is that the pendant I bought does not look much like the pendant on the website. They appear with way more details on the website compared to what they actually deliver. On the website they are shown as having little swing latches on the outer ring of the pendant for holding the glass (which mine do not have, they instead are drilled through and screwed on from below). Also they are shown to have more detail from the cone area leading into the vented part toward the top. I have heard that if I were to get the big one it would come looking like this, but they make no mention of that little detail on their website. My 7 inch ones hardly look like the ones pictured.

I linked the RH website so you can see what they show, and I've posted a photo of mine below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Benson Pendant description

Wow, that is quite a difference in the 2 pendants. I'd be annoyed, too!

We bought a couple bathroom sconces and while I like them, I was disappointed that they weren't made in the US. The quality of their furniture is definitely sub-par, too.

Cut out the middle man and buy directly online (if you can find it). I find b&m stores lacking these days - no inventory, no information , ignorant salesmen.

I can learn all i want online on forums like this and get better pricing on ebay etc than the store.

Thanks for posting about the policy change, I still need to order some chairs and my pulls. I have been buying most of my items from the RH outlet as I cannot bare to pay so much more for the items I want from the regular RH store given what it is quality wise...

Holey cow, jgopp, that's not even the same pendant. There are a lot of differences.

I understand your frustration, but their practices are simply a result of the economy, which includes today's exorbitant fuel prices.

I have never been a fan of RH, but I understand their dilemma in this economy.

jgopp, what size are your pendants? I'm wondering if the 7" pendants lack the detail of the larger ones. They should make that clear, though.

I recently went through the same thing ordering pulls and knobs - $50 in shipping and I couldn't get it waived by shipping to the store. At least I got them while they were on sale. I looked at quite a few local stores but couldn't find anything I liked as well as the ones I ordered. It's too bad because I'm not thrilled with that place.

EngineerChic, ci_lantro, mpagmom: 7inch sized, Yeah the differences are huge, it was kind of sad when I opened the package. It was shocking how "cheap" they felt and looked compared to the other lighting I've ordered from them. I actually thought about sending them back. But I've learned to live and love them over time unfortunately ha ha ha. At this point I kind of wish I had ordered pendants from rejuvenation hardware actually. Eventually I might swap them out for some of the RJVH pendants.

I HAVE seen the 16 inch or whatever they are in person at a local bar and they are of MUCH higher quality (and a MUCH higher price ~$700). I just think it was bull***t (pardon me) that they don't say anywhere on the website that the smaller versions don't have the same manufacturing quality or look. I have ordered plenty from RH in the past but I've moved on, my kitchen -and home- has enough of their stuff to know I'm done.

I will say that their sconces, even though they are made in China, are of exceptional quality. I'll post a pic of those soon. I absolutely love the quality of the sconces in my guest room, they are heavy and very fitting to the home style.

On the bright side, jgopp, they do look fabulous in your kitchen!

I had to chuckle to myself, after reading this thread yesterday then looking at the last two issues of Elle Decor. One had a 6 full-page ad (beginning with the inside cover $$$) for RH. The other, and now I can't put my finger on it, had a two full-page ad that literally said "We heard you" - about a smaller scale furniture/lighting line for those of "you" that live in smaller scaled homes/apartments/condos. I see where they are putting their money.

Oh, good... found an article online about it "Big Style, Small Spaces" (linked below)

You may or may not be interested to hear about a press release I received - they are coming out with kitchen cabinets. I guess they're doing well with the bathroom vanities. I was in the store recently looking at their outdoor pillow selection (ended up buying elsewhere, but he did say they had most in stock). Did not like the new look of the store - dark gray walls, weird music. Did not like a lot of the furniture, etc displayed. But I did take a look at the bathroom vanities. They seem well made - nice wood, construction, heavy, easy to open/close.

Here is a link that might be useful: RH Article

Their furniture line has gone left too. That deconstructed steam punk look. Who in the world is putting that in their house??? They used to be the go to place for classic timeless pieces...but they are really on a trip with their current stuff.

Just do a google search for reviews of RH and see how many people are dissatisfied with them. I ordered one expensive light from them before I read all the negative reviews. Thankfully, it arrived, looks good, and works so I don't have to worry about returning it. That said, after reading everything that I have, I will not shop there again.

Does anyone remember this thread from last September? It covers a lot of ground, but there is a lot of critique/indictment of last summer's RH catalog and the company's products and marketing approach.

Recognizing trendy and what will be dated

Trendy Discussion, Part the Second

This year's RH catalog was not much better. It was enormous, cost a lot for them to produce and mail it to me, and contained absolutely nothing I would ever want to buy. The babies did look a bit healthier in this year's catalog, though--maybe their social marketing folks read our posts calling the babies in their ads "grey children" and "cholera orphans."