Interior Icons’ 10-Year Warranty and 365-Day Returns

When the back part of a bar stool a TINA.org reader purchased from online furniture retailer Interior Icons snapped off, she didn’t worry. The stool (pictured below) came with a 10-year warranty and she only had it for eight months.

But when she attempted to get a replacement, she said Interior Icons told her the stool “did not fall under” the 10-year warranty, despite it being advertised on the product page.

“They said that it was ‘reviewed by their warranty team’ and determined to be made from a material that is exempt from the warranty,” the reader said.

Turns out, this isn’t a one-off. Most of the furniture on Interior Icons’ website, despite being marketed with the 10-year warranty on product pages, isn’t actually covered.

That’s because, according to the terms of the 10-year warranty, the warranty only applies to “metal or solid wood structural failures” caused by “manufacturing defects,” and does not cover a slew of other materials including fabric, leather, marble and polypropylene, which is what the stool our reader purchased is made of.

Of note, these terms are only accessible by clicking “Warranty” at the bottom of the website. Clicking “Learn More” under “10 years warranty” on product pages brings up a pop-up that refers and links consumers to warranty terms for Canadian residents that appear to be outdated and do not include all the exceptions listed in the terms linked at the bottom of the site.

Yet this has not stopped Interior Icons from advertising its 10-year warranty on every product page, including those for leather couches and marble tables, among other items the warranty doesn’t actually cover.

‘365-day returns’

The company also advertises “365-day returns” next to the purported 10-year warranty. But this perk has its limitations too.

According to the company’s returns policy (also linked at the bottom of the website, as opposed to in the pop-up that appears after clicking “Learn More” under the advertised perk on product pages), in order to return an item, it must be undamaged and in its original packaging.

Additionally, the policy does not cover original shipping costs (which could cost hundreds of dollars), not to mention consumers are required to pay a 20%-30% return shipping fee, a 10% restocking fee and an undisclosed “outbound shipping fee.”

Consumer reviews 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, consumers have complained about not being able to take advantage of either the advertised 10-year warranty or 365-day returns policy:

Interior Icons did not respond to a request for comment.

The bottom line

Be careful when shopping online. Many advertised warranties and return policies come with strings attached or gaping holes. Always read the full terms and consider what consumers may have to say on a variety of third-party review sites before trusting a company with your money.

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