How firm are the prices at a La-Z-Boy Gallery?

December 31, 2016 6:09 AM

The entire experience is not unlike buying a car, with all the options and choices and the manipulative sales practices. So it seems reasonable that the quoted price is not firm, and is a starting point. Am I reading the situation incorrectly?

So shopping at La-Z-Boy, I can't believe how high these prices are (yes, I understand they are a good product and will last a long time, etc). But what we were looking at was thousands of dollars for a couch that sits three people, in microfiber fabric (not leather).

posted by Pocahontas to Shopping (10 answers total)

I'm sitting on a La-Z-Boy Leather Sofa right now that started falling apart at about 8 years old. FWIW I would never buy La-Z-Boy again. I'm almost certain the couch, love seat, and recliner were over 50% off list when I bought them.
posted by COD at 6:33 AM on December 31, 2016 [4 favorites]

You can find microfiber couches that sit 3 just about anywhere for $200-300 without the hassle. They may not last 20 years, but if they last 4 years and you go through 5 of them in 20 years, are you still ahead on cost? Plus you'll get to get a clean new couch every 4 years with no stains, popcorn, or anything else! I know that wasn't exactly your question, but something to think about.
posted by jferg at 7:05 AM on December 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best answer: yes, furniture is a negotiable item. It's also a highly-sale-priced item, in that there is ALWAYS a sale going on.
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:52 AM on December 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

Bargaining also includes mattresses, too.
posted by jadepearl at 8:04 AM on December 31, 2016

We bought 2 memory foam La-Z-Boy recliners on sale 2 years ago, think they were $600 each, and that was the sale price. One chair arrived with missing stitching across the front. They replaced the entire seat cushion and footrest assembly for free. A few months later, my husbands chair started developing misshapen bulges in the footrest area. Again, a new section was replaced. In talking with the repair person, whose main job is as a contractor repairing these items, we discovered that the quality has gone down over the years. So he always has work.

We dumped them for cheap on Craigslist when we moved. Now we have some old canvas chairs and a loveseat and they are old, but sturdier and more comfortable than those new chairs. I too will never buy La-Z-Boy again, but yes, they do go on sale.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 8:23 AM on December 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: One alternative I present to you is furniture by Room and Board. They were our first "adult" non-ikea couches. got them in microfiber and have enjoyed them for 5 years now without any issues. Loved the customer service, quality, and the fact that they were mainly american made.

They only have sales once a year at the end of the year, and it's going on now.
posted by Karaage at 8:47 AM on December 31, 2016 [3 favorites]

After reading the bad reviews of LaZy boy here, I am just going to suggest Costco (sorry, I know not answering your question).

They only sell furniture sometimes and I know January is one of the times. They have a VERY limited selection, but normally about a third the cost of similar products.

As soon as I unbury my house from Christmas mess I am picking up a new couch there!
posted by beccaj at 9:21 AM on December 31, 2016

Do your wallet a favour and check Craigslist before you buy new. I got an $800 couch that was 6 months old for $150. People move and need to offload their stuff at an amazing price.

The only potential fear is bedbugs- so don't buy from apartments (harder to eradicate them) and look at the furniture for black specks and look at the skin of the seller for red bites. But also just chill- i have bought about 200 secondhand items in the past few years (furnished several apartments off of Craigslist and thrift, plus lots of clothing), and never gotten bedbugs, knock wood.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 9:34 AM on December 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Look, I talked a salesperson at a department store into giving me a huge break on a coat that wasn't even on sale. (Yes, that's a weird thing to do in North America. I just didn't feel like paying full price and thought I'd take a shot for the hell of it.) You can negotiate anything.
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:39 PM on December 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Agreed that prices are not set in stone, even in stores that seem like they'd never bargain with you. On a whim (after asking questions and talking to him a bit about smart tvs), I told a Best Buy salesdude that I wanted that $649 Samsung television we were standing in front of, but I only wanted to spend $500 on it. He stared at me for a second, went over to a computer, started pressing keys, and rang it up and added tax. Emboldened, I said, "No, I mean $500 total," and showed him my five hundred-dollar bills. I said, "Sorry, I really do only have this much to spend on a tv." He laughed, pressed more keys, trying several times before handing me back the difference of $11 after failing to make it come out to exactly $500. Ha! I tried to tip it back to him, but he wouldn't have it, so I spent it on my cab home with my great big new tv.

Talk the price down and pay less. They want to sell that couch—that's why it's in the salesroom. I believe this may be common practice because I did something very similar the following year and got another tv for my bedroom. Hundred bucks off, baby! (I didn't repeat the sales-tax part that time; but I think the cash thing may have been the key to making it happen.)
posted by heyho at 6:39 PM on December 31, 2016 [5 favorites]