What to do if Furniture Arrives Damaged or Incorrect

At Contemporary Craftsman Furniture, the vast majority of orders arrive exactly as expected in perfect condition. Our skilled crafters and dedicated shipping team take exceptional care to ensure every piece is properly built to your specifications and then carefully wrapped, protected, and transported with expertise. However, because each item is handcrafted and travels a distance from the workshop to your home, occasional mistakes or shipping damage can happen. Please be assured that if your item is damaged or incorrect when it arrives at your home we will fully repair or replace it at no cost to you. When your furniture arrives please be sure to check everything carefully before the shipping team leaves.

How to check your furniture when it arrives
Our shipping partners will bring all your items into your home and set them up in whichever location you indicate. Minimal assembly of some items may be required, which our team is expertly trained to do. Please let them take the lead in assembly and wait to inspect everything until they have completed their work. Once everything is ready, please inspect all your items closely.

What to look for
-Shipping Damage
-Incorrect Order Specifications or Missing Items
-Mechanical Issues

What to do if you find something that is damaged or incorrect
If you notice anything is as it should not be, please communicate this with our delivery team prior to them leaving your home. They can help assist you in troubleshooting the issue, and in some cases may be able fix the problem on site. If an item needs to be taken back to the crafter for repair, it is more efficient if it is put back on the truck at the time of delivery.
If you notice anything, immediately:

* Inform the delivery driver immediately
*Document with clear photos
* Contact us via text, email, or phone.

Shipping Damage

Please check thoroughly for:
* Dents
* Scratches
* Cracks
* Gouges
* Broken components
*Any visible structural damage

Minor Damage

Smaller cosmetic issues are most common—such as light scuff or minor surface scratch—and they can often be repaired on-site by a professional furniture technician. Please contact us and send photographs of any minor damage and we will coordinate a local repair professional to be sent to your home for repair in the next couple of weeks. If the damage is minor enough that you are fine with leaving it as is, please reach out and we can discuss a discount that may be provided as compensation for a less than perfect piece.
If you are unsure whether the damage is minor or significant, please discuss it with the delivery driver before they leave. You are also welcome to send us photos at the time of delivery, and we can guide you on which steps can be taken. If after speaking with local repair technicians we determine the damage cannot be repaired in home, we will send our team back to pick up your items later within the next few weeks.
Here are few examples of the type of minor damage that can typically be corrected in-home.

Significant Damage

Larger cracks, deep dents, structural breaks, or major finish damage typically require the piece to be returned to the crafter for repair. When this happens, the most efficient solution is usually to send the item back on the delivery truck at that time so it can be corrected as quickly as possible.

Missing Items

Occasionally, small components such as:

* Table leaves
* Hardware
* Shelves
* Other small accessories

may be accidentally left behind.

If this happens:
* Inform the delivery driver immediately.
* Contact us via text, email, or phone.

We will promptly arrange for the missing items to be delivered to you in the next few weeks.

Mechanical Issues

Before the delivery team leaves, please test your furniture to ensure everything functions properly.

What to Check
* Doors align and latch properly
* Hinges operate correctly
* Touch lights turn on and off
* Extension slides move smoothly
* Table leaves fit properly
* Adjustable components function as intended
* Drawers open and close smoothly. Please note that due to STURDY act laws some dressers and other case goods have anti-tip lock systems that only allow one drawer to open at a time. Ask your delivery team if you have any questions about how your furniture should operate

If anything is not working correctly:

1. Inform the delivery driver immediately.
2. Ask them to attempt to fix the issue on-site.

If the issue cannot be corrected at delivery, the best solution is typically to return the piece to the crafter for proper repair while it is still on the truck. This helps prevent extended delays and ensures the problem is resolved efficiently.

Incorrect Items

While rare, occasional ordering mistakes or miscommunications between our team and the crafter can happen.

Examples of incorrect items include:
* Upholstery that does not match what you selected
* Wrong dimensions or configuration
*Specifications not as requested

If your furniture arrives and it is not what you ordered:
1. Inform the delivery team immediately.
2. Ask them to place the item back on the truck for return to the crafter.
3. Text, email, or call us right away to report the issue.

In these rare cases, we will remake your furniture correctly as quickly as possible.

Timing of Return for Repair or Replacement of Items

Our goal is always to expedite the repair and return your furniture promptly. However, please note that shipping an item back to the crafter typically takes 1-2 weeks as the delivery drivers must complete the rest of their delivery routes prior to returning to Amish country. Depending on the issue that needs to be corrected we would expect another 1-3 weeks for the crafter to repair the item. Once it is ready we need to coordinate redelivery, which takes on average another 2 weeks. Customers who send items back for repair with the crafter should expect a delay of 4-6 weeks before their item is returned to them.
If a piece needs to be completely re-made due to having the wrong specifications or significant damage, this may take up to 8-10 weeks. We apologize greatly for this inconvenience and do our best to avoid it. In some cases, financial compensation for this inconvenience may be offered.

If being without the piece would be extremely inconvenient, please contact us to discuss keeping the piece you currently have (especially in the case of incorrect specifications) while your replacement is being built. Once the correct piece is complete, we will coordinate a swap.

Natural Wood & Stain Variations

Because your furniture is made from solid natural wood variations are not only normal—they are part of what makes each piece unique and beautiful.

Every piece of furniture is constructed from multiple boards of wood. Even when they come from the same tree, boards can vary in:

* Grain pattern
* Density
* Porosity
* Natural color tone

Natural Characteristics You May See

Depending on the wood species, you may notice:
* Knots
* Mineral streaks
* Color variation between boards
* Grain movement and variation
* Sapwood and heartwood contrast
* Slight differences in stain absorption
* Natural figuring or curl
* Small pin knots or character markings

Each board absorbs stain slightly differently based on its density and grain pattern. As a result, you may see subtle shade variations across the surface of a larger piece. This is a hallmark of authentic solid wood furniture—not a defect.

Stain samples are intended to show the general tone and color of the stain. They are examples—not exact representations of how an entire finished piece will look.

Because a finished piece is made from many boards:
* The stain may appear slightly lighter or darker in areas.
* Grain patterns may be more or less pronounced.
* Subtle tone variations may occur.

These differences are natural and expected. Variations from your sample are not considered errors and are not cause for return or replacement.

If You Notice Something After the Delivery Team Leaves

While we strongly encourage customers to inspect their furniture carefully before the delivery team leaves, we understand that occasionally something may be noticed afterward.

If you discover an issue after delivery, please contact us right away. We will absolutely work with you to rectify the situation and take the same steps we would have if you had discovered the issue during delivery.

However, we kindly ask that you do not wait more than a few days after delivery to inform us.
Prompt communication allows us to coordinate efficiently with the crafter and shipping team while the details of the delivery are still fresh and scheduling adjustments can be made quickly.

The sooner we are notified, the faster and more smoothly we can resolve the issue.

Your satisfaction is always our priority. While issues are uncommon, if something isn’t right, we are committed to making it right.