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Original poster

Great Little Trading Company Furniture: any good (or anyone better)?

15 replies

Catz · 01/09/2009 13:37

Having had a futile weekend looking at vile, shoddily made children's furniture in local furniture stores I'm thinking of ordering some things from GLTC. Does anyone have their furniture and is it/their customer service any good? Specifically I'm thinking of buying this bed and some combination of this storage

I'd rather have a look at furniture before buying it but the GLTC looks much nicer than the stuff we've seen. I've seen a couple of negative reviews of their customer service on here but they are quite old so hopefully they have now improved.

If anyone has any other suggestions of places to look at that would be great. The room is for DD (2) but the plan is that she will share with DC2 (probably a DS, due in Dec) eventually so we're thinking of a bunk bed and just using one single bed for the moment. We're going to decorate it neutrally and already have pine furniture then I want to use accessories/rugs etc to put lots of bright colours in so that storage system looks great.

Thanks!

OP posts:
MrsJohnDeere · 01/09/2009 16:31

We have the Lazarri storgae stuff. I'm quite impressed with it. Had it for 2 years now, I think, an it doesn't show any signs of wear and tear.

Customer service is crap though (took weeks to get all the bits delivered, and many frustrating phonecalls, and we never did get one of the drawers). I'm pretty sure you can get them from other places now though - worth a google imo. Their customer service may have improved recently though.

fanjolina · 01/09/2009 17:24

I bought DD's bedroom furniturethis company.

We don't have bunkbeds, but rather white painted furniture. I would really recommend them for quality and customer service.

lynniep · 01/09/2009 17:29

I have a (2nd hand) toddler bed from GLTC and its very good quality. Dont use it though cos its too low to the ground so its packed away in the garage.

Mrshairyhead · 01/09/2009 17:33

I chose a bed from this company www.woodland-bunkbeds.com/KINDERMOEBEL.htm. It is made of solid wood and we have moved house twice so it has been taken down and reassembled lots with no problems at all. It was very good customer service too.

iwantitnow · 01/09/2009 20:56

love aspace but not cheap but seems better built that gltc

madwomanintheattic · 01/09/2009 20:57

second aspace.
we have jack and jill bunks and had toddler beds etc prior. v good.

Heated · 01/09/2009 21:08

We have furniture from Kidsmill (men in clogs come and assemble it), Aspace and Pinesolutions - totally happy with it.

I've only placed an actual order for small items with GLTC and delivery was fine. However, I did phone them to get info on a GLTC wardrobe and had to really chase them with a number of phone calls to get the answers, despite their promises to phone me, which didn't inspire confidence & why I went instead, on that occasion, to Pinesolutions.

Original poster
Catz · 02/09/2009 14:05

Many thanks for your replies. MrsJohnDeere, I'd thought the storage system was GLTC's own but you're quite right, there are lots of places that do them. The prices seem much of a muchness but it's good to have a choice of companies esp if GLTC is as bad on customer services as people say. I'm trying to do lots of things in the house before DS arrives and am really getting wound up by the crap customer service from half the companies I approach.

Aspace looks very nice, though perhaps a bit on the pricey side (cheapest wooden bunk is over £600 but does look good). The Woodland one looks good too if complicated - not quite sure I understand how it works ATM! Will probably look seriously at the pinesolutions site, looks pretty good value especially if people have found them reliable.

Thanks again for your advice.

OP posts:
shivster1980 · 04/09/2009 19:07

Bought the train table and drawers for DS about a year ago and the drawers are already falling apart. I don't rate the quality of this particular item. The customer service was ok as far as I remember.

millenniumfalcon · 04/09/2009 19:16

aspace have a lot of offers, i think we got our bunks with 20% off, sign up to their mailing list. they're very well made/sturdy and delivery/customer service very good. they also have good discounts int he seconds section (e.g. there's a bunk there for £250 atm) although i've not bought one, so no idea what "slight imperfection to finish, nothing too bad" (which is what they always seem to say) actually means...

Indith · 04/09/2009 19:27

GLTC is shite. We bought a toy box, it broke about 3 months after we put it together, it is still sitting in my house as I have been banging my head against a brick wall ever since (we bought it in December). Apparently it may have broken due to usage so we need to pay for the return (so spend more money) and they will refund if it is a fault but if they decide it is usage (because obviously putting toys in a toy box is not what you are supposed to do at all) we are even more out of pocket. Bastards. Don't shop there.

NeedaNewName · 05/09/2009 20:26

I bought a Hampton bed from GLTC 3 years ago - still going strong, the only reason why its going now is we're getting bunk beds from Flexa.

I had no problems with GLTC or the bed - solid, sturdy, better bed then mine from Ikea!!!

Shamster · 11/09/2009 15:14

Seriously; DON'T buy anything from them. Yes the products are lovely. I took delivery of my Lazzari Merchants chest and draws yesterday. The instructions were a nightmare and I basically had to work out how to make it myself. IKEA instructions are far better and that is saying something! Anyway, when I came to put the back piece on I saw that it had been damaged in transit. Phoned GLTC. (0845 number therefore at my expense...)They said I needed to;
dismantle the furniture that had taken two hours to construct, repackage it in the original packaging, send it back to them via courier at my expense, which they would refund later. I'm livid. This is not a 'change of mind' and they have my money and I have broken shelves. I have never, in my life heard of a company that expects it's cutomers to courier furniture back at their expense when the error is o their side. As it is, it will cost about £45-50 to get back to them. I live about 120 miles away from their return address; imagine ordering a bed, or a wardrobe and having to send it back at your own expense from Scotland! They're in Oxford. I phoned Trading Standards who said I am not obliged to do anything that will leave me out of pocket, even temporarily but they are obliged to provide unbroken goods. After 4 phonecalls, I am waiting for 'a manager' to ring me. (today so they say...)I am happy to have a replacement, or a refund but I am not paying to send these shelves back to them. It's a new policy they said so lets see how long customers put up with that. As I said, great products but criminal customer service. Be warned...

undercoverelephant · 15/09/2009 15:52

We bought a cabin bed from GLTC. The bed is fine, but the storage/desk that came with it is awful - flimsy, lightweight rubbish. And not cheap.
Wouldn't buy from them again.

EmmaSurrey · 16/01/2010 11:00

Belle Maison is far better than all mentioned above although a little more expensive the quality is far superior and they are only a small family business so refreshingly easy to buy from

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