On 09/02/2023, I purchased a "New-Open Box" Steelcase Amia Chair for $270.60 from the eBay seller Madison Seating, auction #*******681. The chair was advertised as being in "New-Open Box Condition" with no signs of wear or defects.

However, on 10/27/2023, the chair's cylinder stopped functioning and seized. Upon inspection, I discovered rusted parts and noticed that the chair's manufacturing tag had been tampered with and removed. This tag is crucial as it indicates the model and the original manufacturing date.

I contacted Madison Seating on eBay on the same day (10/27/2023) and sent pictures of the rusted chair, requesting a return and refund due to what I perceived as false advertising. Their response was dismissive, stating that I had received exactly what I purchased and they would not issue a refund.
I informed them of my intent to file complaints with the FTC, CFPB, IC3, and American Express due to the nature of the issue. Following this, Madison Seating stated they would respond during normal business hours, but I did not receive any further communication.

On 11/01/2023, I received a call from a representative of Madison Seating, who threatened legal action if I did not cancel the complaint filed with my bank. The representative inaccurately recounted the details of our prior communications, including a mix-up where I had confused their package with another order from Wayfair.com, which was resolved in less than 20 minutes on my part with evidence provided to the merchant.

Later on 11/01/2023, after receiving a threatening call, I returned the call to Madison Seating and spoke with the woman who I believe left the original message. I reiterated that I would not be canceling any complaints and requested a return and refund for the chair, which was clearly used. She was dismissive of the auction's description, calling the chair's condition subjective, and justified the misrepresentation due to the discounted price.

After our conversation, she sent an email to eBay, attempting to misrepresent the situation by stating that I refused to return the product simply because I did not want to "bother getting a box to pack up the item."
In response, I informed her that her claim was yet another lie, as I had recorded our call, which I intended to provide to my bank as evidence.

Given these circumstances, I suspect that Madison Seating has previously engaged in similar deceptive practices and appears to be operating on a scripted protocol. Avoid Madison Seating at all cost!

I ordered 5 chairs from them Aeron, Mirra, Leap V2, Gesture, and Amia. I ordered on 3/29. I did not hear anything for a couple of weeks. All but two chairs came in individually spaced out over several days. They do not answer the phone and are slow to respond on email. You can't see the status of multiple shipments in their online portal, so when something does ship, you don't know which it is or when to expect it. I was very concerned at first that the company might have been fake. By the first week of May all chairs had arrived. All were from their remanufactured line-up. 1/5 lived up to expectation of a remanufactured chair. It was an Aeron. The fabric on all Steelcase products was very poorly done, I would not trust them on a reupholstered chair. Many loose threads and in general it looked like a very low level of quality. The Leap V2 had five different concerns. Three different components broken in shipment. It took me four emails with pictures along with a threat to challenge the credit card statement for them to ship repair pieces. When they did ship, there was no instructions, so if you are not mechanically inclined, you would have little to no chance of fixing. Additionally, their is a permanent seam in the back of the upholstery because they glued it in place without smoothing it out. They also did not trim excess fabric on any chairs, so you have random pieces of fabric sticking out from the chairs. The Steelcase arm pads are designed to be replaced, but to save a few buck they did some weird reupholstery to it as well on the Leap. The Gesture and Amia, appear to be new pads, or at least in great shape. The fabric edges is the big negative one those two. The Mirra chair we ordered either had bolts stripped in the frame from the factory, or they did not install the correct bolts. Whoever installed, did go out of their way to make it look correct. The result is that it took about two weeks before the back of the chair separated into 3 pieces. The company won't ship new bolts, or replacement chair back. Their only solution is to ship back the whole chair back and then they will replace. The problem is either a bolt of the chair back. Neither of those make sense to ship a whole chair. Either way, they will only take back a chair in the original packaging. If they make an exception you have to find a box that fits exact dimensions. I along with a couple of coworkers spent a couple of hours trying to find the box, and we couldn't. As a last ditch effort I tried to order another chair from them and told them I ordered one to get a box. THEY CANCELLED THE ORDER! This is the most unethical, and sleazy company I have dealt with a long time.

PLEASE READ IF YOU PLAN TO MAKE A PURCHASE. EXPECT TO WAIT INDEFINETLY WITH NO COMMUNICATIONS AT ALL.

I purchased a new office chair for my company through Madison Seating. I was told each time I asked it will ship next month, until today, now they are out of stock and do not have the one I ordered 3 months ago available. But they still have them on their website and does not state out of stock.

Not to shoot the messenger but please review and advise.

You have been sold out since Nov 9th when I placed this order? Please explain

I keep receiving conflicting information from your company.

Today: 2/9/21

Hi Bob,

We are sold out of the Executive Model Aeron chair with no restock date just yet.

We do have the same chair for a lower cost in an all black version.

Will this work for you?

*

Examples:

Sent 12/28
Dear Valued Customer,

Due to Covid-19 we are experiencing some delays on certain items.

The Aeron chair you selected has a release date of Mid/Late January.

We do have the same chair in all black available for an immediate release.

Are you flexible on the color selection?

Otherwise, we will keep you priority listed for the original selection. You will only be charged prior to the shipment.

Warm regards,

*
Customer Service
Sent 11/24
Dear Valued Customer,

We have had some delays due to the Corona Virus outbreak, as our website indicates.

We hope you and your family are staying safe during this crisis.

This order is scheduled to be shipped out by Early/Mid December. Tracking will be emailed once released.

PLEASE NOTE: Shipments may be released sooner than the anticipated release estimate. Unless the order is canceled, all orders will automatically be released when available.

You will only be charged for the transaction prior to its release.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

*
Customer Care
Sent 11/16

Dear Customer,

Thank you for your recent purchase with Madisonseating.com, the leader in North America selling brand name office chairs at discount prices.

As your email confirmation indicates, we ask that you allow an estimated 14 business days for delivery from the order date. (Business days do not include weekends or legal holidays).

The name of the carrier and associated tracking number will be forwarded to you prior to shipment so you will know the exact date of delivery.

We will only charge once the shipment is scheduled for release.

Thank you for your patience.

Shipping

*Personal information redacted by admin

... don't let them fool you.

Covid-19 has been a huge punch in the gut for a lot of business out there, and it continues to be as well. Many of the reviews I see here appear to be people that think their city is a country, their country the world. Anyone with a shred of understanding on what has been going on over the past seven months would know that meeting a shipping deadline is out of many businesses hands. However, that didn't stop this company from delivering a quality product just outside of the normal estimated delivery time. They stated 14 days after time of purchase. I received the tracking info email on day 16 or 17, chair arrived a few days later (I live in Ohio, they are located in New Jersey), and even the packaging was exceptional too.

I do a lot of online ordering, more than you, reading this, do and I'd bet my life on that. So far, unless I haven't purchased something/s completely left-field and low-need, not a single business has been delivering product on time. That is as is expected! I have a brain, I read and follow the news, so I get it: Covid-19 = everyone is getting hit hard and taking a back seat to life-support needs; food, water, and medicine take priority on shipping world-wide and everyone else is left to compete for second place. I digress...

Madison Seating ended up sending me a high quality chair that was loaded with adjustment options, new upholstering, and they saved me over $700. The contributing factor behind why they sell "so cheap," is, "blemishes." I **** you not. My V2 Leap Chair (by Steelcase) had a few minor, superficial scratches on the aluminium base frame. That's it! If I hadn't been looking for the imperfections, I honestly cannot say I would have noticed them. Mind blown. I cannot believe I got this chair for the price I paid.

Do yourself a favor, especially if you're a gamer, content creator, and/ or someone who spends a lot of time in front of a computer... make the investment in your health. This is exactly what it is, an ergonomic health purchase. No more leg and feet swelling, proper posture, and everything from my neck down to my feet has never felt better. Not only does this speak to the quality products Steelcase manufactures, but it's a testament to the refurbishing care and know-how that Madison Seating has in ensuring you get more than what you pay for.

My one regret in this lifetime is that I wasn't a millionaire and couldn't donate a substantial sum to Madison Seating to help them through this devastating year of small businesses. They_are_that_great_at_what_they_do! Save your wallet. Invest in your health. Get a chair from these people, you will not regret it.

Apparently I should have ordered two, as even Super Widdles approves *see photo*

First off, I have wanted a Herman Miller chair for several years. I first sat in the Aeron in 2010 when the company I worked for purchased them for the office. I looked at Madison Seating since I couldn't justify the cost (over $1100) to get one of the new Aeron v2 chairs.

I found that Madison Seating were selling chairs on Amazon, but I didn't see the newer Aeron listed so I decided to order directly from Madison Seating. I was very apprehensive since I read a lot of mixed reviews on Madison Seating, and doing a search online revealed a lot of negativity including a lawsuit against them. I have seen that Herman Miller and Madison have now settled this.

I ordered just after the holidays on January 3rd, and did have to contact them to get updates on my order. I think their website says it usually ships 10-14 days, so on the 14th day I contacted them again. Each time they responded to me the same day, usually within an hour or so, and apologized for the delay. In all honestly, I am not expecting Amazon delivery times, especially on a large item like this. I see a lot of other negative reviews due to slow delivery times, but I wouldn't say they deserve 1 star because of that. My chair arrived today (Jan 23rd), so 20 days since placing the order.

It was very well packaged in a Madison Seating branded box, but I decided to take photos just in case. Again, I was nervous after seeing all of the negative reviews. Once I opened it up, the Aeron v2 chair was in two parts; the back and the base. It came supplied with an allen key in a small bag attached to the chair, and the back attached easily with 4 bolts.

Again, being skeptical of the purchase I checked a few things to make sure the chair was genuine. If you run your fingers behind the back rest (at the top), you will feel dots which signify the size. I ordered a size B, and indeed there were two dots I could feel. The base (that you sit on) also has B imprinted underneath. Also at the back of the back-rest is the Herman Miller logo. The older Aeron's seem to have 'Herman Miller' where mine just has the H logo, but I checked this online and this also appears to be genuine.

To satisfy my curiosity I took apart the boxed unit that is located under the seat, where the tension knob comes from. It simply un-clips, and I wanted to see the mechanism inside to see if it was full of dust or dirt. Mine looks brand new.

Perhaps I am one of the lucky ones, but I am very happy with my chair. It cost $699, saving a considerable amount compared to a new one. It looks, smells, and feels brand new. The arm rests show absolutely no signs of wear, and there is no damage at all. Time will tell if this lasts, but being a Herman Miller I have been told that this will be a chair for life.

As for Madison Seating, perhaps the lawsuit and past issues have taught them some valuable lessons. All I'd say is read their terms and conditions, and know what to expect with their 'open box' products, which is what mine is. Don't expect to have it for 3 weeks, and if it arrives earlier then you won't be disappointed. Their communication with me was fast, so I can't really complain. Unfortunately it is human nature to complain and get angry when something doesn't go our way, which is why I think people leave more negative reviews than good ones.

My experience with them was good, and let's hope they continue this with all of their future customers. If there was one thing they could do better, then I'd say that's have faster shipping times. Also, if they offered free returns (no $50 re-stock fee) with their 30 day no hassle guarantee, then this will probably entice more people to buy from them.

I've been in the contract office furniture for 15+ years. I have purchased from Madison Seating many times. My last purchase was for 25 or so Aeron Chairs. The casters on the chairs destroyed my clients carpet. I can't exactly say what the problem is other than the caster material seemed to be crumbling away and it was leaving black marks. Over the course of a month the carpet had a dark black ring where the users were sitting. I called Madison Seating to see what the issue is and they simply responded saying, "you should buy upgraded casters". I called them to clarify what flooring the standard casters are used for and they just couldn't answer. I called Herman Miller and was told that the standard casters on the Aeron Chairs are indeed meant for Carpet. With this new information i wanted to place a warranty claim. The people at Madison Seating were rude, spoke to me with raised voices, and we're disrespectful. The Madison Seating 10 year warranty is not what one would expect. The consumer has to ship the chair BACK to Madison Seating and they will fix it and apparently the consumer also has to pay for parts. Shipping cost are at the consumers expense. As a courtesy they said they would ship me the casters but i would still have to pay for them. So i'm not too happy... casters are falling apart, clearly a warranty claim, and i have to pay for new parts.

My experience with Madison Seating was not great so i went on a review site and gave them a negative review. No biggie, it happens. But this is where the story gets good. No sooner did i click on the submit button i get an email from Madison Seating stating the following,

Based on your recent review we will no longer be offering you the courtesy option of sending you parts. Please send the entire chair to the following address for repair service.

I sent them an email back telling them that they should stand behind their products and the furniture dealers that support them (buy from them). They got me upset so i went to another review site and put in another bad review.

I was then sent another email from Madison Seating with the following,

This email is to notify you that we too, will be reporting you to other online merchant services regarding the circumstances surrounding your order. In this way, other online retailers will decide if they want to fulfill your future online requests based on our experience with you.

Some of these online retailers will be emailing you with a review summary that we have provided. Other platforms will just retain this information for any online retailer that registers or requests this information.

We are sorry you felt the need to escalate this matter unnecessarily.

I received another email from Madison Seating the next day saying the following,
You will be receiving an email within the next 24-48 hours from various online companies regarding the review we posted concerning our transaction. Some of these reviews will be live within that time frame. The review will be under **Company Name** as well as ***MY NAME!***. (You may have already seen some of these reviews posted under your company name)

I think this is quite childish. At the end of the day Madison Seating had an opportunity to do the right thing, solidify a relationship with a contract office furniture dealer, and simply send us replacement casters for the chairs. Instead they destroyed a relationship using bullying tactics. My reviews are honest and based on my experience with Madison Seating. Madison Seating actions are based on spite and vengeful.

Be careful if you purchase from Madison Seating. The savings you might get purchasing a used chairs might not be worth the head ache nor potential damages the chairs may cause to your flooring.

Update 10/29/2018

First, props to Madison Seating for making some positive changes to their website to correct the issues I encountered in my original review. I've upgraded my review by one star, though I don't feel I can justify more than that unless I ever buy another product from them and have a more positive experience. Still, they are moving in the right direction here.

I just took another look at their site, and decided the changes warranted an update here. They finally removed their deceptive "satisfaction guarantee" blurb and replaced it with a far more accurate "moneyback guarantee" link. Also, unlike the previous blurb which linked to a page full of misinformation, the new link now takes you directly to their Terms of Service, so you can see what you're actually getting.

For the curious, I attached a screenshot of what their old "satisfaction guarantee" used to promise, so you can see what the issue was. For most online purchases, paying return shipping isn't a huge deal. But when it's for a chair you paid $500 for instead of buying a new one for $500 more, a $200 return shipping charge is a pretty big deal. At that point, you may as well have bought the new chair for a couple hundred bucks more.

**ORIGINAL REVIEW**

Their "satisfaction guarantee" is false advertising and worthless. Even though they say you have 30 days to return an item and they will pay the return shipping, this is a lie. Hidden in their terms and conditions, they state that not only is the customer liable to pay return shipping, they also charge a $50 restocking fee. The Aeron chair we ordered was too small, and between shipping and restocking fee, it is costing $216 to return the chair.

As for the chair itself, they do indicate that they are open box. This is true, but a bit deceptive. They are essentially used chairs that Madison Seating refurbishes. They claim they provide a 10-year warranty for their Aeron chairs, but given how untrustworthy their "satisfaction guarantee" is, I wouldn't trust this one bit. The chair I got was in good condition, and did look practically new, so if you can be sure you're getting what you want the first time, it can still be a good deal.

Also, their shipping was VERY SLOW. Estimated arrival was 8-10 business days from the date it was ordered, well, it was over 2 weeks before they even made a shipping order, and then another 3 days before they finally shipped it.

In conclusion, if you are sure you know exactly what you want, and you can't find a better price for a nearly-new chair, Madison may still be your best option. Just be aware of what you're getting into.

Update 12/14/2016: Madison is now threatening legal action because of my reviews pointing out their dishonesty. At this point, I cannot recommend this company under any circumstances.

I have photo proof of the purchase, screenshot proof of their lies on their website, which at this point, anyone can still see for themselves, and if they change it, I'm quite certain Google cache will still reveal the truth to anyone who cares.

DO NOT TRUST THIS COMPANY.

Update 6/30/2017, Re: Madison seating response

Yes, as I already clearly stated in my honest and accurate review, you can find the ACTUAL return policy hidden away in the terms and conditions. Calling it "clearly visible" is, at best, somewhat disingenuous, as the terms and conditions conditions are not easily accessible until the purchase page, and then not highly visible so as to attract attention. Unlike the entirely false so-called "satisfaction guarantee" made extremely visible and attention-grabbing on the home page. It is blatant false advertising, nothing more, nothing less. Any company this blatant and shameless with false advertising is a company I can neither trust nor recommend to anyone else to any extent.

The fact that so many reviews exist revealing similar experiences speaks volumes.

Also note that to this date, Madison Seating has never contacted us in any attempt to resolve this amicably, but only to threaten. We ended up selling the chair ourselves at a far more moderate and less-costly loss than returning it.

Caveat emptor.

They sell 10 year old rusty products as new,

The seats are very comfortable

Everything was as expected. Excellent quality