Comments on: Buying Furniture off the Back of a Truck

By: Ferris

Ferris — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:22:57 +0000

Oh you guys are tough. You caught a guy who is selling furniture from the back of a truck . Why don’t you catch the person that is selling drugs to your kids. Why don’t you find the person that is responsible for having guns around our homes.

If they are selling you furniture that you are obviously in need of if you buy it for less then half of the price , why are you complaining .

Do you know if this trucker is a father that has to do what it takes to feed his children?

focus one what is really important, and stop bytching when you get a good deal .

If I ever sell furniture I will sell it to you for double the price . because some of you only enjoy it when you get screwed .

By: SJ

SJ — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:49:27 +0000

They are now in OHIO! They just stopped one of our employees putting up our flag just outside the front door. We are just outside of Toledo, OH. The truck said it was from NC. Our employee of course said they were not interested. But these guys are everywhere, be on the look out!

By: Jersey

Jersey — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:37:33 +0000

Thomasville, NC furniture truck just pulled up in central nj to sell all kinds of furniture. They said they brought it to a store to sell but they had too much and the store couldn’t take it so instead of hauling it back to NC they are selling it for dealer prices to get rid of it. I asked for the warranty and they said it will come in the mail within three days. I asked if the furniture was stamped anywhere saying that it is genuine thomasville and there was no direct “yes” answer. I also asked what the model number was so that i could call my fiance who was at work to look at it online. They said that its the 900 series but its not yet available online to view. I asked why its not online and they said its because its a new series and its not yet out. Hmmmmm Very suspect.

I happened to grab a glimpse of the license plate… NC: 70761 was part of it.

By: T AND N

T AND N — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:23:13 +0000

My husband and I peddel furniture . It is legit 100% . Not only do we buy from local manuf around town we also build furniture . We have been building furniture for year high end no cheap stuff . We have done work for Donald Trump , Christina Agulara , And a famous basketball player . Our furniture was in the hotel lobby of the move 1408 .So where is the scam . If I can sell you nice quality furniture what is the problem . If I get all my materials to custom build furniture at good prices . then I sale it to the customer at good prices . I think it is great . I have fabric books . If someone likes a style I have but want a different fabric they can choose thier fabric and I will have it built for them thats called COM customers on fabric . Great deal if you ask me . People aways thinking something is up . I guess it is a GOOD DEAL . Go ahead and spend 2500 on a sofa , love not my money . You get better quality from us for way less money …

By: loty Mcfadden

loty Mcfadden — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:32:09 +0000

The thomasville truck showed up at my work yesterday in Mountain City, Tennessee. Three really fast talking guys with a load of new -still in clear plastic furniture. Coaches, loveseats, rocker recliner, clocks etc. I did purchase 2 coaches a loveseat and 2 rocker recliners. I did not have a check so i told them i would bring cash back today. Furniture was unloaded to dock at work and is still there, i have cash this morning to give them. All this for 1890.00. I have been looking for furniture for a long time. It look very good. however when i get to work I will call the local police to make sure this is legit. Will write back with more later

By: F. McGill

F. McGill — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:42:30 +0000

Well,

We had them here in Papillion Nebraska just yesterday (Labor Day). We saw what they had and really needed a sofa and love seat. We were also interested in a table and chairs. The problem was that they couldn’t tell me which company in Omaha had gone bankrupt, causing them to be left with inventory they were practically giving away.
They also couldn’t tell me anything about the company they work for (CDI). We let them put the sofa and love-seat into the house and started looking at tags and taking a closer look than what we could get in the back of the truck. We found the materials to be cheap and the quality to be poor.

We started looking up the brand of the sofa on the internet (Legacy 7000) and couldn’t find it anywhere. When they brought in the table we finally got a picture and a product number and found that the “at cost” price they quoted us was actually 200 dollars MORE than the average price on the internet, which included free shipping.

The truck driver was amazingly unaware of which company had gone bankrupt, had no information about the company he drove for, and said they only take checks or credit cards. They just happen to have their own machine in the truck. Tell me something. If they were only getting rid of furniture because of a last minute problem with their receiving company, why do they carry a credit-processing computer with them?

Why couldn’t any of them answer my questions?

The truck driver finally put me on the phone with someone named “Butch” English who referred me to the BBB website which gives them an “A” rating. That means nothing. There’s still no history, no record, nothing but a P.O. box for the “company” and a guy selling furniture that I could get cheaper on the internet.

Once we finally got a good look at the furniture, called the truck driver out on the lies he was telling and had him up against a wall, he said “Well, I’m not going to sit here and argue with you. We want you to be happy. We can just load all this stuff back on the truck.” He was floored when I said “Yeah. Let’s do that.” I thought he was going to choke.

They loaded up the table, chairs, china hutch, sofa and loveseat and drove away. They haven’t been seen since.

I agree that if you like the quality of the furniture, you should buy it. It’s real furniture. However, you should do your research. They’re probably over-charging you for low-quality furniture!

By: Anita

Anita — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:06:54 +0000

Well they’re still at it. They drove down our street, a quiet subdivision in Hillborough, NJ, with a truckload of “Thomasville furniture” that they had been delivering to a store in Trenton, but they said the store cancelled the order. And now they don’t want to drive all the way back to North Carolina with it the furniture, so they’re selling it door-to-door, “at cost.”

By the way, Trenton is 45 minutes south of Hillsborough. Why drive 45 minutes north to sell the furniture?

We took a look at it and it looked like nice stuff. But why would they sell it “at cost?” They showed us the flier and it was curious to me at the time that they had a flier of the exact furniture that they happened to be delivering to a store, with “retail” and “at cost” numbers on it. Also, they did have a permit to sell – now, why would delivery men on their way to a store in Trenton have a permit to sell furniture in my town of Hillsborough, NJ? And, when I showed interest in a dining room set, they said “we sold that one but if you like it, I will be up here again in 2 weeks, and you don’t have to pay ahead of time.” If they were unloading furniture at cost and there’s no profit in it for them, why would they drive back up to NJ, to my neighborhood, two weeks later, for no profit? Now I know southerners are nice people, but that’s pushing it.

Anyway, I did write down their licence plate number. But I’m not sure they’re doing anything illegal, other than (1) implying that the furniture was made by Thomasville when it was not, (2) lying about why they were selling it, and (3) implying that it was being sold at a huge discount when, in fact, it was probably being sold for the same price, or more, than in stores.

Not necessarily illegal, maybe just unethical?

By: Not a sucker

Not a sucker — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:11:07 +0000

If these guys are so legit, how come they freaked out when I took a picture of their license plate. I don’t like strangers coming up and casing my house with a moving van under the pretense of selling me some stolen merchandise.

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:41:10 +0000

After reading all of these entries, I’m laughing at myself. I live in Ankeny, Iowa too and just bought two wingback chairs this lovely Sunday afternoon. Three very polite men with southern accents in a semi from Carolina Furniture. The credit card receipt had this address 304 Trindale Rd #5, Archdale, NC 27263 and phone 336-434-1141. The written receipt has the P.O. Box 2978, Thomasville, NC 27361. They showed us a permit to sell from the city of Ankeny and we paid sales tax. It seemed a bit strange and their story was that a designer in town cancelled the order, and their boss wanted them to sell the furniture instead of hauling it back to NC. I guess we are a bit too trusting.

We purchased two wingback chairs and we like the pattern quite a lot. Just tell us the truth that you sell furniture at discounted prices–but then they probably wouldn’t sell as much furniture. Also, we should have negotiated with them on the price. I now regret not doing that. We like the chairs, they look great with our decor and we are now going to go sit in them and drink a lot of wine and laugh about what just happened.

By: Dick

Dick — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 22:30:27 +0000

These guys are in my neighborhood as I type this (Ankeny, Iowa). Same story as above – some designer canceled their order and these guys are stuck with a truckload of furniture, etc.

All the guys seemed nice enough, so I have no doubt they are selling decent stuff, and have a legit business for the most part. They did take credit cards, etc. My only red flag is the completely phony “backstory” to their sales game. I mean, why do they need to lie there. If they’d just say, “We buy truckloads of furniture and tour around selling it ourselves versus owning a store” or something similar, I’d respect them a lot more.

My wife and I looked at the furniture. Not bad, but not in our budget. I’d probably have no qualms buying from them if I was in the market for something they had and had the $ to spend. Most big furniture stores run free financing promotions that make these purchases digestible for households like mine, so I’m not going to splurge and upset my cash-flow.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:00:08 +0000

My wife and I bought a furniture from these guys a couple of years back. We bought a couch and a love seat. The furniture wasn’t fancy but half the price of furniture stores and they still work fine. We took a risk but it was well worth it.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:20:11 +0000

They were in Jacksonville Florida this week. I dont ever jump on a deal but did with this one. I bought a sofa and loveseat (leather) for 1350. I did think it was Thomasville furniture, because of the truck of course. The men gave the story of the cancelled interior designer order and I thought what a deal with it being leather and Thomasville. I asked one of the dudes if it had a Thomasville tag on the furniture and he said no and the tag taken off was the only one. I should have known then. Anyhow- I know this is not Thomasville furniture but it is very beautiful and I dont think I could have gotten both pieces at a better price retail as I’ve looked all summer. It is very thick, rich looking leather and I hope it holds up well.The men were very nice, delivered, set it up and gave me a receipt.After reading all this, I know I was fooled with the brand but feel it is good furniture for the price paid.If I knew more about this- I would have offered them much less! The truck was the biggest part of this trick.

By: Simin

Simin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:25:21 +0000

This is for Kathleen from jun 3rd 2009, whose husband does this for a living. I have purchased all my furniture from one of these trucks and I love them all. it is time to replace my leaving room with new set. Nothing is wrong with them, I am only ready for change after these years. KAthleen, would you please email me your contact info? I have posted my request multiple time here but everyone has ignored me! SOMEONE PLEASE PROVIDE CONTACT INFO OF THESE PEOPLE. I AM DESPERATE….

By: janet dolan

janet dolan — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:47:32 +0000

this is for Kathleen from jun 3rd 2009, whose husband does this for a living. I have bought my living room furniture off the truck twice over twenty years. The furniture has held up exceptionally well even though we have two kids two dogs two cats and tons of friends and family that sit on it day in and day out. The only reason I let go of my first purchase was the dogs and then the kids stained the couch, it would have cost me as much to reupholster as get a new one. You should create a website so people will know where and when you will be in their area and what styles you will be showing. People would like to know instead of asking friends and family to let you know if they ever see the trucks. Seriously, Janet

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:41:57 +0000

Hi,
My husband does this for a living, we run 5 trucks. There dozens of furniture peddlers from the piedmont area of North Carolina. I will tell you that if someone says the furniture is Thomasville, that is not true. But that doesn’t mean that it is not good furniture. We sell Ashley, Vaughn, Homelegance, Howard Miller and many other good brands. We also sell furniture from companies no one has ever heard of that is shipped in from China (mostly leather). We have a circuit that we run every year, so it is important to us to sell a decent product that won’t make it so we can’t come back to an area next year. We are a real business, we deal with the factories, banks, credit card companies, the states and city governments we work in, the IRS, the DOT for our trucks. It is not in our best interest to scam people and get a bad reputation. But some small time peddlers, are just out to make some crack money and will tell any kind of story and sell any kind of junk. It is up to the customer to use caution, just like any other shopping experience. I would suggest using a credit card, that way if there is a problem you have an advocate. If a peddler doesn’t take credit cards, that is a red flag, don’t buy from them.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 17 May 2009 13:21:41 +0000

Wow, im going to get straight to the point here. All of these articles make me laugh (the furniture is stolen, they rented a truck). So what im going to do is tell you the truth about these peddlers. Most of the guys own there trucks, they go to furniture stores and buy the furn in bulk with there own money ( a full truck load cost about 25,000 to 30,000) most of the peddlers pay straight cash. They will most likely sale the hole truck in 10 days. And they usually mark the prodcut up a 100% but that is still cheaper than what you would pay for it in the stores. And yes they do this year round…A good peddler will make 150,000 300,000 a year . When they talk to you and you wonder if that is realy the way they talk yes it is ( a good southern boy)…Well i hope this helps you out on your next purchase….I no beacause i peddled for 5 years… have a nice day yall

By: Simin

Simin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:24:18 +0000

Rich,
do you have any contact number for these people? i have purchased all my furniture from them in past 13 years. But I have lost their number. Please email me; msassadi@yahoo.com. I like to get some new furniture from them.

By: Rich

Rich — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:00:52 +0000

I am extremely skeptical almost cynical by nature yet I decided to “fall” for this scam yesterday afternoon. I’d seen this a couple of times in the past, but had declined the invitation to view the contents of the truck until yesterday. The difference this time. We had been shopping for living and dining room furniture for about the past month and had a pretty good idea of what we wanted. As such, the wife and I took them up on their offer to view the truck’s contents. Sounds almost identical to what everybody else mentioned….wing back chairs a plenty, grandfather clocks, bedroom sets, sofa’s settee’s etc., and most importantly, two cherry dining room sets. One represented as a Pulaski and the other Fairmont Designs. My wife liked both sets, so I took the brochures inside to do some quick research while my wife and several neighbors chatted up the truckers. I knew full well that the sets were most likely knock-offs, but I wanted to get an idea of what the real deal would cost me via an Internet purchase. The driver advised me that the Pulaski had an MSRP of $11,000, but I could have it for $4,000. When the wife turned her attention to the Fairmont pedestal table, he advised pedestals “were more expensive”, which we knew to be true and that we could have that one for $4,300 inclusive of the pedestal table, two arm chairs, two sides chairs and china cabinet. My research showed that I could get the actual set from an Internet-based furniture store for a couple of hundred dollars less than what he was asking. I walked outside and thanked him for his time, but we weren’t interested as it simply did not seem like a bargain and too much risk involved. We went back inside for a few minutes and I told my wife to tell him we’d be interested for $2,700 He countered at $3,000 and I agreed knowing full well that even though all of the boxes and tags said Fairmont Designs that it was a knock-off. Thing is, I never had heard of Fairmont Designs before, so what do I care. Unless what appeared to be wood suddenly turns into dust overnight, I’m fine with it and feel I got a decent value. At the end, we grabbed a wing back chair for $289 as well. Now, was I scammed? I don’t think so. I think I made an intelligent value-based decision on what I had learned over the last month while furniture shopping. We’ve gone over the set visually a half dozen or so times and see no defects. The drawers all have velvet bottoms, although they are not on rollers and are a little stiff. I’m sure they made at least a $1,500 profit off of me, but compared to my recent Ethan Allen experience that was fine by me. The good folks from Ethan Allen came out and put together a phenomenal living room and dining room floor plan for us three weeks ago. The living room consisting of an area rug, a settee, a wingback chair, two other chairs, a coffee table, a pineapple table and two end tables totaled $13,000. The dining room consisting of an area rug, pedestal table, two arm chairs, six side chairs, china cabinet and sideboard was $18,500. EA wanted $1,899 for the wing back chair. The chair I got off the truck was very similar at a $1,600 savings. Know, I still need the sideboard for the dining room, they offered to bring it back next trip or I could get online for about $800 was still a significant savings over EA. Although the quality of the truck furniture appears very good, I won’t try to argue it is comparable to EA, but at 1/4 the price, the look is identical and unless it falls apart, which I don’t believe it will, then I’m happy…and that’s all that matters.

Also, as an aside, my experience with a large, chain furniture store has been not so stellar over the years. They employed the same sleazy sales tactic on me on two separate occasions five years apart. I negotiated a price, signed the order and scheduled delivery for three days later. On Day 2, I got a call from a sales manager saying “we can’t do this deal at that price..It’s well below what I could actually buy it for myself. If you want us to deliver it tomorrow as scheduled, it’s going to cost you $xxx.xx more”. The first time this happened to me in 2000, I told the guy that was his problem not mine and that we had a contract and if he breached I would seek the appropriate remedies. The furniture arrived the next day and I never heard from him again. Five years later, I purchased a bedroom set and got the same phone call two days later. This time I canceled the order and will not go there again. I had a car dealership do this to my wife in 1997 as well. Sleazy. Anyway, my opinion, proceed with caution, but proceed nonetheless if you’re confident you know what a fair value is for what you are looking at.

P.S. Would only pay CC on something like this in case of any type of dispute, and I’m from Southern New Jersey.

By: Noreen

Noreen — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:24:07 +0000

These guys really get around. Big white semi with “Thomasville” that looked just like the store logo in my development this afternoon – thought a neighbor was getting a delivery. Guy with a thick southern accent rings my doorbell and gives me the song and dance about a canceled order and a truck full of furniture he has to get rid of cheap. Didn’t go out to look b/c we don’t need furniture and it sounded too shady to me. Plus, we bought furniture years ago at a close-out sale for a Sears Home brand store and got a bit burned. The sales person assured us that the mission style furniture we got was solid wood and it turned out to be laminate. By the time we figured that out – no store left to complain to. Hats off to those who think they got a deal, but I’ll buy from IKEA before I buy off a truck. BTW I live in eastern PA, near Allentown.

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:51:52 +0000

This same thing happened to me today, 3/6/09. Door bell rang, looked outside and saw a furniture truck. I thought it may have been a delivery but at the wrong address. When I opened the door the guy delivered his pitch. Since he said they were from N.C. and I could see this on the truck, I asked why come all the way to ILLINOIS! Scam alert! He gave me a line about deeply discounted furniture etc. and left his card. I told him I may be able to look later so he left his card and stated to call the phone number. the card stated: Cottle Transport, Inc and name on card is John Cottle. In then meantime, I searched the web and found this thread. I am sceptical but also wondering if there is any level of legitimacy to this.

By: Lynne

Lynne — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:34:51 +0000

I live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee off 231 south in Chestnut Hill. These guys knocked on my door this morning, ( two young guys and one older man with white hair)..looked down the street and saw a HUGE, all white Semi with Thomasville Furniture on the Cab and Trailer. Their spill was that they were on their way to Lebanon,Tn. to deliver this huge load of furniture to an interior designer. They got word that the bank had pulled the designers line of credit and that they actually had no money, so therefore they were having to unload this stuff for under half its worth. They claimed her delivery was supposed to be COD. They never said why they couldn’t take it back with them and I didn’t ask. Several of my neighbors were already on the truck looking to see what they had.
I found the guys very personable and when I got on the truck to look..everything was packaged nicely and they had some extremley nice wing back chairs ( some couches went with these), settees, 2 leather club chairs, several really nice recliners that rocked, reclined and swiveled in one. They had whole sets of really nice bedroom suites (dressers, end tables, ect,).I would have liked a dresser, but they couldn’t split up the set. I checked the tags,( which the couches had at least 3 on them) and they clearly stated Thomasville Furniture.They were in many different styles, patterns and colors. The prices on these couches according to the tags, ranged from $2600 to $3000. They offered them to me for $649 each. The 3 in one recliners were stated as being $699. The offer of those were $198 each. The wingback chairs orginally, I think were $700 and the offer was $298.
Now..I am a skeptic or at least consider myself to be, but I have been out here looking at furniture the last couple of months and I may kick myself later, but you know what? I bought a couch, recliner, and a small table. All for $1000. What I got as far as looks, is way nicer and more affordable than any I had found that I liked so far. These guys moved my old sofa for me and set up my new one and even put the feet on for me. I got a receipt with a name and phone number that says Thomasville Furniture. The check had to be written out to a Champ Cooper and they included sales tax. They required 2 phone numbers. Also..just to add on…I initially only got the recliner and the table. I called my dad to tell him what I got and that they were still down the street. My dad said I should go back and get me a couch for that price. So I did. If these guys wanted to try and steal more money from me, they could have kept the first check I wrote them. They didn’t. They actually handed me back my first check to tear up, so I could just write the couch and all on one. They could have easily kept it and I probably would have forgot it. I may be dense at times, but I have had way worse happen dealing with furniture from a store. Heck..I was gonna buy a whole Ashley Furniture bedroom suite from them that they had marked down(still in the thousands I might ad) and when I asked about the delivey fee, they told me they couldn’t deliver merchandise that was on clearance!! Oh, but there was a guy there that the manager was friends with, that, if for price, he could bring it to me on a horse trailer! Can you believe that crap??!! I walked out and will never go back. That suite by the was like $4000. Their loss.
So I plan on calling my bank Monday and put them on alert just to make sure that only the amount I wrote is to come out for them. In the meantime, I don’t feel bad. I have dealt with way worse. And the furniture is so comfortable and nice!! And I promise you I not from NC or a trucker making this up. At no time did I feel threatened in any way by these guys. Not to mention my neighbor was there too and heard what they said and could identify them if needed.

By: ontheweb

ontheweb — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:06:56 +0000

I have been keeping house for over 33 years. I have never had to use a warranty on any piece of furniture. Having a warranty that you will probably never use is not worth it to pay higher prices in the brick and mortar stores.

Most of those store mark up at least 300 to 400%, that is why they can have the so called blow out sales and still make a mint.

By: ontheweb

ontheweb — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:35:34 +0000

Hey, I bought furniture off the back of the truck. Call me crazy if you will. I bought it over 4 years ago. No police came knocking on my door. The furniture is of very good quality and still looks brand new. I compared the prices and they are very good.
Also, found that the company name to make checks to is listed on the web in guess where High Point, NC.

By: Kendall

Kendall — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:29:15 +0000

I do the same thing but with a warehouse instead of a truck…Peddling furniture out of truck is too hard and you are away from your family…. peddling used to be more common… loading lifting and letting customers see every piece of furnitutre you have on the truck before they buy one or no pieces is hard work…. I tried this with one truck load selling to friends and family (too hard) I decided to go with a retail warehouse instead in Lake Norman NC(still in business after 5 years)…. the furniture I get is new furniture from High Point showrooms…. mostly sofas, sectionals, chairs and ottomans, sleepers etc, of all styles 100% leather, fabric or microfiber….we will also buy casegood showrooms (bedrooms and casual dining mostly) Unlike the hardworking peddlers we give the mfts. name, model #, leather color, and leather name as well as an optional warranty… anyone with a computer can check to find out the deals they are receiving are true deals at true wholesale prices. we pick up truckloads in High Point about 2x month. Most of our customers are from Lake Norman area (Mecklenburg County) same county as Charlotte NC. A trip from Charlotte to Davidson is worth the ride. What we offer our customers: great quality, great price and you get it today. (with most deals you only get 2 of the 3) We have kept our overhaed very low…. when you visit the warehouse customers can tell they are buying the furniture not the warehouse

By: Bill

Bill — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:50:28 +0000

well… how about that… SOME boxes were marked “made in Vietnam” , can someone here please explain to me why?
why are we now American’ts??? OHHHH I think I know… cause everyone here wants to be paid $80/hour to work, and no one wants to pay anyone that much to work, so we ship all our manufacturing off to other countries where the people will work for $0.10/ hour….And we sure don’t want to pay anything for something for our house, we want cheap!!! Go in about any store and look at the tags of clothing, made in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea. Our cars are made overseas, our clothing, our furniture… what next, our wives and children? Oh, wait a friend of mine has a Chinese wife, she treats him like a king and she is very pretty… I think women need to watch out, they will get replaced next…. And to all the people who have children that want to give them everything that they didn’t get when they grew up… well, guess what your children won’t have when they do grow up? JOBS, MONEY, SECURITY!!!! Make your kids earn their money, and make your stores earn your money….. I mean has anyone noticed all the political talk on TV about making this a socialist country to get out of the financial crisis???? I guess free society was sold out…. and no one cares…. oh wait, they care, they just talk about it, and don’t do anything about it… I would yell WAKE UP AMERICA, but I think everyone is to stoned or drunk to notice anything…

By: nickel

nickel — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:26:44 +0000

Bill: Actually, that’s not the case. Check out comment #71. THe boxes were clearly marked “Made in Vietnam.”

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:21:08 +0000

Hey all you smart people out there…
Who don’t want to buy furniture out of the back of a truck..
That furniture in the back of the truck, is most likely made right here in the USA!
The furniture you find in most furniture stores today, is made in ChinA!! Who do you want to support?

The furniture in the furniture stores, gets there via the back of a big furniture truck! Interesting, big furniture truck takes furniture to back of store and unloads it….

someone owns a big semi with furniture trailer and finds manufacturer, and decides to head out of state to sell it to individuals to save them money compared to stores who paid $big money for a storefront location. one time investment in truck and trailer $100-150,000…. store BIG MONEY.. maybe $10,000 a month rent or more or maybe $5 million dollar one time purchase depending on location!! The Store’s don’t sell you that furniture or anything else for that matter at cost…

Wow I’m still impressed that the furniture got to the store the same way it got to the front of your home.

I’ll say this too, IF door to door selling is illegal in your state or city, you have lost a freedom! You may not want to do that type of job, but it was still a freedom that we have all lost.

This blog really shows that there are alot of people out there that do not care if they lose a freedom. What a shame, I have lost relatives in past wars that are DEAD to save your freedom.

Also, I imagine most people don’t listen to these peddlers sales pitch, to note they say they are from Thomasville, NC….

So folks, Let me say this, the biggest scam artists out there are your nice pretty store fronts, who do you people think pays for that $10 million dollar storefront????
I mean look at any mall location, any big store, and check their information, how much did they pay for that land???? The big box stores are making millions, did you see their company info, stating net profits??? NET, means that is what they made after all costs were taking out, that was money out of your pocket’s my friend. And all that money went to pay some big executives to have a fat time on your hard earned paycheck that you spent with them!!!!!! Their exotic vacations, their fancy cars, their mansions on the hill!!!! Folks, wake up!!!

By: recent

recent — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:21:46 +0000

Hello Si,
I’m further south than you, so I’m not sure if these guys will come your way. Perhaps they or one of their compatriots may be able to help you.
We bought a formal dining set that suits our tastes and falls right in range with the online prices for similar furniture. The boxes clearly showed “Made in Vietnam”, but I don’t mind Asian hardwood when it is crafted this nicely. The curved backs of the chairs are joined beautifully.

By: Si

Si — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:37:41 +0000

Hi RK ,
Please share their info with rest of us whom are looking for these guys to buy more furniture. I do not think they mind to distribute their contact info. It would be a free ad for them.

By: RK

RK — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:03:46 +0000

Whatever, Larry (from the Thomasville truck) is a really nice guy, and I’m not about to knock his hustle. I got me a lovely Lane leather sofa and love seat about a year and a half ago for my basement. I’m looking for dining room furniture now, and if I can’t find what I want in the stores, and they have something that is a great deal, I have their business card and will call them up to see what they can bring through the next time they are in N. Virginia and if it has a great price, I’ll consider buying it.

By: Jim Ison

Jim Ison — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:33:11 +0000

I live here in North Carolina as a matter of fact in High Point. I know alot of guys who peddle furniture. As a matter of a fact I pebble food. The furniture that you are buying is made here in North Carolina. There are a lot of small companies that make furniture for these guys to sell. It is top of the line and does not fall apart. A lot of the times what you are buying is the same thing you would buy from a furniture store. A person here can buy a truck load of furniture at a pretty good price and make some good money on it. The product is not stolen. If you come here you can get the same price they pay for it. These companys are all over the place that wholesale furniture. So all of you who think it is a scam it is not. Thomasville furniture has these small companys make furniture for them, most the time it is samples of what they want to put on a line to be made. Just remeber one thing the furniture you are buying off the truck is made by one man who takes his time making it. What you buy in the furniture store is made by a lot of people who just want to get thru the day and go home. Which on do you think is made better.

By: l nelson

l nelson — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:06:17 +0000

They were just at my house in walworth ny.Same setup as described.09/28/08

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:22:47 +0000

I’m not saying the furniture is good or bad. The manner in which it is being sold should raise some red flags. They were in our neighborhood as well. Nervously, the man tells a story of how a little old lady had bought all of this furniture, her credit was bad, so now they have to unload it at discount prices. I won’t be buying any hamburgers from a mobile McDonnald’s.

By: Si

Si — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:47:39 +0000

I am looking for these people to buy more furniture from them. Anybody has any contact information of them?

By: ann

ann — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:12:06 +0000

Oh geez louise … calm down people.
I just bought furniture from a truck for half the price in the store without the delivery fees. I used my credit card and no, it hasnt been used by them since. They arranged for me to purchase extra pieces not included on the truck, so yes they have a way of getting other pieces from same collection. They used the thomasville town name, but did not claim to be the company. The furniture is the exact set from the store (i did my research) and has the same logos inside the drawers.
I would gladly do it again!

By: si

si — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:46:14 +0000

I have bought my living room furniture from them 10 years ago. We loved it so much that we purchased 2 bedroom sets, dining room and family room furniture from them 5 years later. I am so pleased with the bargain and proud of myself for not paying triple times to junks from Marlo or many other furniture stores. I was wondering how I can find them again in Washington DC area. Anybody has any idea?

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:48:09 +0000

I was visiting a small town in Maryland on Tuesday morning and these guys showed up. I returned home that night to where I live (outside of Philly) and the same friggin idiots show up! These guys drove 150 miles north just to find me again! Unbelievable! I thought they were following me so, I did a search and found this blog. I’m still gonna do some more investigation. Seems too coincidental.

By: Suzanna

Suzanna — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:28:23 +0000

The arrival of the truck in our neighborhood made for an interesting afternoon. We don’t consider ourselves foolish or naive. The furniture was comparable to the quality we have found in stores and the price was right. I actually found the exact pattern and color I’ve been looking for in a loveseat, wing chair and settee at a lot less money. The tag says Furniture Brands International, of which several fine makers are a division. I agree with the previous poster that questions where’s the scam–they offered a product and a good price and we were satisfied with the quality and cost. And my husband is glad he doesn’t have to endure endless trips to the furniture store anymore or wait for delivery! Keep an open mind.

By: Chris Gebert

Chris Gebert — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:16:56 +0000

So this is a scam, huh? So, they asked you to buy furniture, you gave them money, and they gave you furniture. My mother bought a leather recliner from one of these outfits. It was a good deal and it’s still really nice after several years of use. Most people posting are really, really angry. Why? Seems pretty innocuous to me.

By: Ted

Ted — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:42:56 +0000

07/30/2008, just had a guy in a thomasville truck give us the same line about having a load that was for a furniture company that had gone out of business. searched this out and found this page on the web. interesting stuff. my only comment is to those who think this is either normal, legal or moral. it is non of the above. to sell to the public in this state requires you be registered with the state dept of revenue, hold a retail license, and pay your sales tax collected for items sold. all of these things are NOT happening in these cases. it is illegal plain and simple. for those of us who have legit businesses, how is it at all fair to have some one show up and compete against you without having to pay taxes on your sales. these folks should be in jail. if they want to sell furniture out of the back of their trucks, that’s ok with me. do it legally.

By: JOHN

JOHN — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:32:16 +0000

IF YOU WOULD NOT BE SO QUICK TO MAKE EVERY ONE OUT TO BE SO BAD AND SO QUICK TO KNOCK EVERYTHING, YOU MIGHT JUST GET A GOOD DEAL ON SOME FURNITURE. JUST LOOK AT THE TAGS OR BOXES AND PHOTOS AND YOU WILL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. IT DOES NOT TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO SEE A GOOD DEAL, BUT IT DOES TAKE A CLOSED MINDED PERSON TO WALK AWAY FROM A BARGAIN. IF YOU LIKE PAYING RETAIL THE STORES WILL BE GLAD TO CHARGE YOU 2 O 3 TIMES AS MUCH AS THE TRUCKS. WHO IS THE SHADY SALESMAN NOW? THINK ABOUT IT. DONT BE SO CLOSED MINDED AND SO QUICK TO PUT SOMEONE WORKING HARD TO EARN A LIVING. ITS HARD WORK AND ALOT OF LONG HOURS.

By: nickel

nickel — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:44:26 +0000

Chuck, they may be just trying to make a living, but in many areas this sort of solicitation is not allowed. Thus, they’re often breaking the law.

By: chuck

chuck — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:24:14 +0000

First of all i know all about this, it is called peddelling furniture i know people who have made a living off peddelling furniture i live in high point north carolina. The furniture isnt thomasville duh!! But it is legit and good quality heck i know the quy where they all get it from all furniture now days is made in china your not getting a deal just because it says thomasville on it or ashley or lane, american drew what not it is almost all made in china now. The pitch they give you isnt legit but the furniture is, it is actually made in high point unlike thomasville which is made mainly overseas how do i know this i worked for thomasville furniture in thomasville. For everyone saying this is a scam you obviously dont no any better the furniture is higher quality and a better price then what you will buy in a store now just the delivery prices with gas going up makes it worth your while to at least take a look at . AND NO IM NOT A PEDDLER TRYING TO STICK UP FOR PEDDLING THAT IS WHAT IT IS CALLED DOOR TO DOOR COLD CALLING SELLING MERCHANDISE OFF A BACK OF A TRUCK. If you dont want to buy from these guys that is fine but dont knock
a man for trying to make a living if you dont like just be polite and say not interested and go about your business. We live in the US a free society not a dictator ship where you have to down someone for trying to make a living if you had a family with mouths to feed wouldnt you do what you had to do to keep them fed. Sorry if i sound rood or upset, but dont talk about people unless you are standing in front of them then tell them that is what we call a coward.

Thanks sincerely,
Chuck

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:10:05 +0000

Let the BUYER BEWARE applies when you make a purchase from a truck or in a store. Got to know a little about the quality you are buying.
I bought a Sofa & Loveseat for $1,200 off a truck after Hurricane Andrew in Miami.
Looked good and used them for 12 years!
(all stores in Miami were damaged & closed)
I visited Thomasville & High Point last year,
simply 2 nice small Southern Towns with 1,000
furniture stores. My Sister drove from Boston to Thomasville to buy furniture for her new
Condo in Florida last year. A couple weeks after delivery she spotted a tag on the back of the bed that said “Made in China!”
I hope she paid the “Made in China price?”
I notice another comment here from Indian Trail Road. Is this on Lake Keowee, SC where I have a lot? (maybe 12 houses on Rd)
End result = Be intelligent & do your homework.
Return Policy? (sorry, no returns) LOL

By: key typer

key typer — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 22:50:45 +0000

I think you have to be careful and go on a case-by-case basis. We bought a really nice chair for our home office last year and couldn’t be happier with it. We paid cash. We got a receipt with a phone # and physical address on it. The same chair would have cost us $115 more plus a delivery fee had we bought it online through a brick and mortar store.
Years ago, I had a friend in NY state who manufactured furniture for these types of businesses. They get the parts separately, like legs, etc. Then they do upholstery and decorate them all at once, which is why they have so many of the same style but different colors. They often use overstock upholstery and components from many different manufacturers. So, it may have some brand name foams or coverings or legs. It is actually pretty well made.
Lots of folks sell stuff from trucks: Schwann’s food, seafood (alot here in MD), those ugly velvet paintings that were big in the 70’s, clothing (New York City), Amway (at least the guys who weren’t trying to to the pyramid part) and the Fuller Brush Man used to be a welcome sight. The problem with furniture is that it seems too “big ticket” to be sold from trucks. I say just be careful, check the quality and always get a receipt with contact info. and verify.

By: Sanjay

Sanjay — Sat, 24 May 2008 21:04:50 +0000

These guys were here in Rochester Hills, MI. For last few months, I have been visiting furniture stores to get a good price, but I have not likes single sofa yet. The only choices I have are in Micro fiber and suede (Don’t want to go for leather). But the sofa I saw on the truck was good. I liked it though I haven’t bought yet. The quality was really good. I wish I had bought from them.

Thanks
SS

By: Dean

Dean — Thu, 22 May 2008 02:04:40 +0000

I just had a white truck stop by my house in Jefferson Georgia with three white guys claiming to sell Thomasville furniture. They had couches, loveseats, clocks, etc. The truck had Thomasville printed on the sides and they wore Thomasville shirts. The truck had a North Carolina tag. The tag number of the truck in AZ-52665. I’m not about to buy anything out of the back of a truck but out of curiosity I did take a look at their stuff. I would not recommend buying anything from these guys.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:14:09 +0000

I purchased a leather recliner from a truck from Thomasville NC. There was no misrepresentation of the products. Most of it was probably made in China. Guess what…most of your local furniture stores buy their furniture from Chinese ditributors/manufacturers. This business is no different than any other. In case you are not familiar with Geography; Thomasville is a town in NC and happens to be the name of a company also. NC furniture businesses are struggling with Chinese competition. The guys sell off the trucks can save you a little but consider it a convenience not a scam.

By: frank

frank — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:58:53 +0000

I’m tell’n ya’ll you can ease your mind all you want to, but this furnture is not what they say it is. P.T. Barnum once said “there is a sucker born every day.”

By: Not sold

Not sold — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:10:11 +0000

A truck just pulled up in my neighborhood about an hour ago. Told them I wasn’t interested. Their spiel was the “order was canceled and we have a permit to sell the merchandise.” He said he was from North Carolina, and he did have some sort of southern accent.

Never had heard about this kind of scam, but it was too good to be true, so I was wary. (Also, I didn’t need any furniture.)