Industrial Envy

Industrial Envy is a great company that make everything by hand in Texas. Their furniture is all very well made and designed to last. Their customer service is great and they happily exchange products if you have your measurements wrong. More companies should be like Industrial Envy.

I hired Industrial Envy LLC, to reupholster an old settee and paid in full on delivery–I was happy to get it back, and I trusted owners Jennifer and Trevor Zandt had done a good job. But when I had the chance to look more closely at their work, I found visible globs of glue, sloppy seams, poorly attached welting, puckered/wrinkled corners, and frayed fabric edges (among other things). A local upholsterer later told me that, in his opinion, the job was "the worst I have seen in 19 years of doing upholstery work."

Jennifer and Trevor Zandt, the owners of Industrial Envy, ignored several emails and a phone message but eventually offered the option of a partial refund of $400 within 10 days. I accepted (although the local upholsterer later said I should have demanded a full refund). Weeks passed; no refund arrived, and more of my emails went unanswered. So I finally outlined what I felt was my only recourse: a Better Business Bureau consumer complaint, online reviews, and possible legal action.

This got their attention. The Zandts finally responded, reneging on their refund offer and citing what they said was "clear evidence" that I "may have tampered with the upholstery work after delivery."

But Jennifer Zandt had sent me photos before delivery showing puckers and wrinkles in the upholstery. I had asked her about this in an email; she said they would eventually smooth out. The professional upholsterer said they were the result of a poor job. I'm happy to share these emails and photos with anyone who asks. Making accusations with no proof is a clear effort to avoid taking responsibility.

They also threatened me with legal action for leaving critical reviews. They accused me of trying to "blackmail" them for more money (despite having no evidence of this–I had already accepted their miserly $400 refund). They continue to offer what they say is "free" re-upholstery (just out of the goodness of their hearts). But it's not free if I have to bring the settee from College Station, TX, where I live, to their business in Round Rock (I already paid them $150 extra for pick up and delivery). It's not free if my efforts to communicate with them and resolve issues are ignored or disparaged or met with false accusations and threats. And it's not free if I have to just trust them when they say they'll do a better job the second time than they did the first.

I'm not surprised they have customers (and friends) who leave positive reviews. But in my case, what they describe as their "quality standards," "business ethics," and "strong belief in customer satisfaction" have fallen very, very short.