When you make any major purchase, the sellers usually offer extended warranties and protection plans as add-on items. But what happens when you change your mind? We are looking into what you need to know and do if you pay extra for a plan.
Know who you are actually buying that protection plan from
Deandreia Myles contacted KPRC 2 when she purchased furniture from a local furniture store and paid extra for a $300 protection plan. Even though she paid the retailer, the protection plan is actually from a Michigan company called Montage.
Myles showed us the paperwork she received at the time of purchase. It says she could change her mind and cancel the protection plan for up to 30 days and get a full refund.
But when she tried to cancel within that 30-day window, she said Montage blew her off. They told her that she didn’t send the correct paperwork in her original request.
“Protection plans are based on trust. If I no longer trust you, why do I need your protection plan?” said Myles. “They just don’t want to give me my money back.”
When Myles reached out to us we contacted Montage and the furniture store where she made the purchase. While Montage was slow to respond the retailer refunded Myles $300 the same day (The furniture store made the refund even though technically it was on Montage to refund the money because the contract says you can cancel within 30 days by contacting the furniture store in the first 10 days and Montage days 11-30).
A lot of furniture stores in our area offer protection plans from this same company.
Montage has just two out of five stars with the Better Business Bureau. They’ve received 530 complaints in the last three years. Most complaints are about contractors’ Montage hires and customer service response times.
On the BBB website, it appears the company does try to respond to customer complaints. In one post, a Montage spokesperson wrote, “We hope to be back to our normal standards very soon and we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our customers.”
You should know the 30-day right to a refund, in this case, is specific to Montage, so make sure you ask all of those questions and get any of those guarantees in writing from the company you use.
Texas law about canceling contracts
Most people think that you have three days to cancel any big purchase, but that’s not true. The Texas Law that gives you three days to cancel contracts only applies if a seller comes to your home or sells you the products somewhere other than their place of business.
When it comes to protecting yourself on your next furniture purchase, read the fine print and save the paperwork. Document everything and send any communication by certified letter so there is a record. You should also take photos and videos.
You can read more here at Texas and federal laws on warranties.
