Ballard Designs Avis 

I’m incredibly disappointed with my recent experience at Ballard Designs. I ordered dining chairs in person at the store, and the associate verified that they were in stock and available. Five days later, I received an unexpected cancellation notice with no real explanation.

When I called customer service to understand what happened, the only solution offered was a $25 gift card, which felt like an insult considering the inconvenience and the fact that I now have to start my search over again. To make matters worse, the exact same style chair is still available as an individual custom-order option — yet the company refused to offer any discount or price adjustment, even though the original in-stock set I purchased was canceled through no fault of my own.

For a company at this price point, I expected far better communication, accountability, and customer care.

I’ve been a Ballard Designs customer for years, but my recent experience was troubling enough that I won’t be ordering from them again.

I purchased a rug and paid through PayPal at checkout. The rug shipped directly from a third-party vendor, and everything appeared normal. Months later, I received an alarming email claiming there was a “payment issue,” asking for a cashier’s check or money order, and warning that my account might go to collections. The tone, formatting, and language were so unusual that it looked exactly like a phishing scam.

When I reached out to Ballard directly, their customer service confirmed that the internal payment authorization had expired on their end because the order shipped before they captured the PayPal payment — a situation customers have no way of seeing or knowing about. Despite this being entirely a backend issue, the company’s communication was vague, threatening, and lacked any secure way to resolve the situation.

Even after I reported that the initial message appeared fraudulent, Ballard did not provide a safe or verified payment link for a week. The burden was fully placed on me to untangle a mistake that originated in their own billing system.

The product itself is fine, but the handling of this situation — especially the misleading language, lack of clarity, and absence of secure payment options — was disappointing and eroded my trust in the brand.

It took a YEAR for my banquette to arrive. My salesperson quit returning my calls, so I contacted the store manager. She explained that they had a new manufacturer. I had asked for the banquettes to have storage but it was missed in the original order. Since the order had to be resubmitted, I asked that the storage benches be ordered. The manager said it couldn't be changed, but said after my order arrived, they would reorder the storage benches and switch them out when they were completed...Didn't happen and now no response to emails.

I redrew 3 bookcases from them totaling 6129.75 the first shipment arrived damaged they took it back and told me they would send out another set
They did and again it was damaged
I then asked for a refund
They told me I would get it
I am still waiting a month later no furniture and no refund and now they refuse my phone calls

I am decorating a new house and I have spent a lot of time on Ballard's website. They have beautiful things.
That said, I have never in my entire life experienced a more glitch-riddled, poorly integrated and maintained website. It is an absolute joke and the frustration that you get from using it will frustrate you beyond words.
I have never had more trouble trying to spend $5000 than with Ballards. I could not complete my purchase due to a website glitch that kept hanging up. I called and had to wait an hour and then suddenly I hear it hang up. I'm done. I've now spent more than 2 hours trying to purchase 2 items of furniture to no avail.

How a company with such great potential can be so horribly run is beyond me. I'm leaving out a lot of ugly details, but my strong advice to anyone wishing to buy anything from them...save yourself the pain and frustration and source it somewhere where the CEO has his or her act together. I can't even begin to imagine the frustration if you have to return something!
Their incompetence has worn me down and I will find my furniture somewhere else - - and probably a lot cheaper!

Was never informed an item that I ordered was not in stock. Then I had to spend 45 minutes on and off hold to cancel the order. Worst customer service experience ever

I ordered an Bunny Williams Cocktail Table - first they lost the order and then suddenly found it and it arrived by a freight carrier in a sealed box. It weighed over 80 pounds and was left on my door step.
After opening the incredibly difficult and heavy box I discovered they sent me a return of someone else's used table. It is filthy, covered in dark black blotches and looks like it came out of the garbage can. I have tried over 5 times to contact them with detailed photos and they have refused to respond. I spent $1800 for a new table and received used, damaged good that is worthless.

Only reason gave a 1 star is because there were no negative stars. Worst order process and customer service I have ever seen. Horrible!

The delivery people would only deliver my purchase (a bed) on Wednesdays which might be okay but it was going to my beach house-2 hours away and it's the middle of the work week. To make matters worse, the 1st time they showed up with 1/2 the bed. The second time they showed up with only 1/2 the bed (and did not bring the original half). So it took three times for the delivery to work. Then I when I went to put the bed together, there was a big chunk missing in one of the side boards. I have emailed and called and have not gotten a satisfactory response. I would never recommend this company.

Order updates not timely; cannot reach customer service; phone hold times ridiculously long; online chat not available. Just poor customer support.

Customer service is HORRIBLE! Placed an order only to realize the description was off and needed to return. After confirming they received the return on the 27th I reached out to costumer service via email and they assured me I would receive the refund in the way I paid 3-5 days later. It is now the 6th and I have not received a refund. I CALL customer service only to be told that because they changed processing systems during my return that I will be mailed a check. This is in violation of their own return policy stated on their website. I have worked in public sales for over a decade and have never not been able to accommodate a customer. Kelly Stockdale was the absolute rudest human and refused to help me in the issue. I will NEVER shop with them again, or recommend to anyone!

Ordered custom shams 4 weeks ago to only get 0 update, and when I finally went to refresh the tracking, it said it was canceled? I never received any emails stating this, and still have yet to get a refund. Will never order there again.

Good luck trying to get your money back when returning something.

Reading the reviews here and my most recent experience I refuse to purchase anything else from this company.

We buy a TON from this store. I am frustrated that I purchased a $3000 rug from here a year ago and it is already SO faded in a house with no pets or kids living at home. It is in my living room which gets low to average sunlight. People cannot afford to buy a new $3000 rug every year. I even had it protected the day after we bought it and no help. Not sure if mine is defective, but something is not right. I left a review on their site and no response.

I am writing this to hopefully spare other people what we are going through with Ballard designs. I ordered a custom bench from them on September 9, 2024. They told me it would be delivered by January 9, 2025. It was a custom piece so I was willing to wait. Today is April 19 and I still don’t have it. They have delayed it seven times With no explanation. They do not even advise me. It is being delayed until I call looking for it and they tell me it has Been delayed yet again. It is impossible to get a hold of anybody there to help you. I have requested a supervisor call me back many times and have never gotten a call. They are a disgrace. They are now saying we will get at the end of May. I’m sure it’ll be delayed again. Avoid this unethical company

We recently ordered a number of Ballard's Tuscan bookcase units in the Walnut finish. We are pleased with the units and would rate them as a four-star purchase, in terms of the quality and appearance of the units.

Ballard's lack of any option to assist with the set-up of units for an additional fee significantly detracted from the experience, however. While the delivery people were pleasant and professional and placed the units where we asked them to, they were not able to assist in setting up the units, even when offered a fee. As a result, we will not order any items from Ballard again if they require any type of set-up.

Unlike some other companies such as Pottery Barn, Ballard does not offer any optional White Glove Delivery service for an additional fee. I knew this when I ordered the bookcase units, but erroneously assumed that I could pay the delivery people to help me set up the bookcases (set up includes leveling the four screw-type feet on the bottom of each unit, so that all units match in height and angle; unpacking the shelves; installing shelf brackets; disposing of shelf wrapping, etc. ) The delivery people said that they would like to have done it, but were prohibited from doing so by Ballard).

All of the set up is now done, and we are pleased with the units. But I'm not pleased that I had to spend four hours getting the bookcases set up and that Ballard offered no option to have that work done when the units were delivered. The whole process took a lot more time and effort than I had hoped that it would.

MABEL DITSY FLORAL QUILT FULL/QUEEN MULTI (FQ089 MUL QUN. Very Disappointed in the quality of this expensive coverlet. The only thing quilted about it is the stiching that is not quilted to anything. SOOO thin and not worth $386. So disapointed because the colors are perfect but now I have to buy additional items(no shams were included) because this looks like a sheet that I have folded at the end of the bed. Ballard will return it but they are recognized for better quality items. This was soooo poorly made and the back side is ugly, most coverlets are the same on both sides or have a nice piece of fabric on the back side.

I would like to take you through the situtation I encountered when ordering an upholstered parsons chair with wheels.

---May 11,2024 Original order T7593730 Expected to ship 7/8/12024
---June 22, 2024 Ballard advised of shipping delay to 8/25/2024
---July 26, 2024 Received the chair earlier than revised ship date
---July 26, 2024 Emailed Ballard advising upholstery not acceptable
---July 28, 2024 Email from Ballard offering three options: Discount of $93.34; Return for full refund; Exchange for new chair (keep old chair until new one arrives).
---July 29,2024 Email to Ballard opting for Exchange for new chair.
---July 29,2024 Email from Ballard with new order number (#X6542586) with ship date of 9/25/2024.
---Sept 25, 2024 Email from Ballard; new ship date 10/15/2024.
---Oct 16, 2024 Email from Ballard; new ship date 11/12/2024.
---Dec 1, 2024 Call to Ballard asking why no chair and no updated status.
---Dec 1, 2024 Email from Ballard...not sure of ship date; will advise.
---Dec 12, 2024 Email from FragilePak advising chair was picked up from Ballard and would be delivered.
---Dec 17, 2024 Email from FragilePak asking me to pick delivery date; date selected for Dec 20, 2024.
---Dec 18, 2024 Call from Ballard Designs advising new ship date for chair was in February 2025. I explained FragilePak emails and that delivery was scheduled for Dec 20, 2024. Representative said she would check and call me back.
---Dec 18, 2024 Second call from Ballard. They advised that "yes, chair will be delivered on Dec 20, 2024."

On Decemer 20, 2024 the chair was delivered by FragilePak. We unpacked it. Guess what? There was a broken black plastic wheel on the front right leg of the chair. Obviously, couldn't sit on the chair. Pin for the wheel to be attached was still in the leg of the chair. So I exchanged the three black plastic wheels on the "new" chair with the four wheels on the "original" chair. So, now the chair was able to be used.

Let me also say, that while the upholstery was better, the medallion on the "new" chair was not placed correctly. The medallion was not in the middle, but towards the bottom of the back of the chair as you faced it. Good grief, it's unexplainable as to why anyone would place the center medallion so it wasn't centered top to bottom and left to right.

Never would I do business with Ballard again. High prices; low quality; and unacceptable customer service.

I am beyond frustrated with my experience with Ballard Designs. I ordered a custom stool on July 31, with an estimated delivery date between September 30 and October 4. After months of waiting, I was informed in November that the delivery would be delayed until mid-November. It is now December 1, and the order STILL has not shipped.

When I requested to cancel the order due to these repeated delays, I was told that custom orders cannot be canceled and that delivery dates are merely "estimates." This policy is unreasonable—how can a company take my money, fail to deliver within a reasonable timeframe, and refuse to offer a refund? At this point, I have lost all confidence in Ballard Designs' ability to fulfill my order, let alone provide reliable service.

The lack of communication, failure to meet deadlines, and rigid cancellation policy make this one of the worst customer service experiences ever. Ballard Designs, your customers deserve better than empty promises and endless delays. I will not be ordering from this company again and urge anyone considering their products to look elsewhere unless you want to risk waiting indefinitely for your items.

It is impossible to complete an order on the website of Ballard Designs. PayPal has not been working since August. It generates an error code. I have contacted PayPal's helpdesk and they informed me that the issue has to do with the website's settings, and that I will not be encountering the same problem ordering from any other website (which is true). Then I reached out to the customer service of Ballard Designs, hoping that their IT team would solve the issue as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Apparently it is not important that customers are unable to process a payment.