Colorado's Largest Chair Store
World Wide Sales and Shipping
"We Make People Happy One Seat At A Time"

The Chairman's Shipping Policy:
Delivery of Furniture / Case Goods

First, it is important to know that we ship our furniture generally in one of two methods.

LTL

1. LTL stands for Less than Truck Load shipments. This is primarily used for smaller orders. Once the furniture has been manufactured and inspected, it is ready for packaging. We pack the furniture and always ship via recognized L TL carriers. The furniture is packed in accordance with regulations set up by the Motor Freight Carrier's Association guidelines. All cartons and interior packaging meet the specifications called for by this industry group.
   
2. Once the product has been properly packaged, it is then ready for pick-up by the designated carrier. When the furniture shipment is picked up at our factory, the truck driver is required to sign that he has received the proper number of cartons in good condition. Once the driver signs this truck bill, it is the carrier's responsibility to deliver the shipment in good condition as well as in a timely fashion.
   
3. The shipment is then delivered to a local freight terminal where this trailer is "broken down" or unloaded. All the pick-ups from that day are sorted and placed on outbound "over the road" trailers with other shipments heading in the same general direction. These trailers generally travel about 200 miles to another terminal where these "over the road" trailers are again "broken down." The shipments are then re-sorted and again reloaded for the next leg of their journey. Often times, a customer's shipment may be off-loaded and reloaded 4 or more times before it arrives at the delivering terminal. The final sorting takes place at the "delivering terminal" where your order is placed on a "local" truck for delivery. It is during all of this unloading, sorting, re-sorting and reloading that freight damages generally occur.
   
4. When the "local" truck attempts to make delivery it is VERY IMPORTANT that you take extra precautions BEFORE signing for their goods. The freight bill, often referred to as a bill of lading, is presented to the you. This is a legal document and should be treated accordingly. If you read the fine print where the signature line is, it will read "Received in Good Condition."

You should always:

1. Count all cartons and confirm that the quantity matches the total on the freight bill presented by the driver.
2. Check each carton for a label and confirm that each carton is addressed to them.
3. Check each carton for signs of exterior damage -- including scrapes, holes, dents, creases, watermarks or any other abrasions.

Important Message:
If at the time of delivery you can't inspect all of the contents make sure you have signed it" unable to inspect goods at this time". The carrier will be obliged to have you sign the shipment that way.

If for any reason you have questions please call us immediately at:
1-800-807-3787

Tip: If a carton has been dropped and it lands flat on its bottom, there may be damage to the goods inside (concealed damage) yet the exterior of the carton may show only minimal damage.

You may request to open and inspect the contents of each carton noting ANY and ALL damages to the contents BEFORE signing the bill of lading. If the driver refuses to allow a detailed inspection, you should note any / all damage you see on the bill of lading before signing for receipt of goods.

Tip: If a carton has been dropped and it lands flat on its bottom, there may be damage to the goods inside (concealed damage) yet the exterior of the carton may show only minimal damage. Don't forget. . . the freight carrier initially had signed that they picked-up these goods in good condition. It is their responsibility to deliver them in the same condition. You must share in the responsibility of properly receiving goods. If you, for whatever reason, don't fulfill your responsibility in noting evident damages, you have essentially given the freight carrier a "free walk." In reality, if you fail to note in writing on the bill of lading all of the damages found during or after unpacking each carton, it often results in a dispute with the carrier known as a "concealed damage claim." Many carriers have routinely dismissed "concealed damage claims" asserting that the freight bill was signed "clean," so any damages must have been the result of an incident after the truck had left... .therefore, it is now the customer's responsibility.

DEDICATED FURNITURE CARRIERS

This is the perfect method of transporting furniture. Unfortunately, it requires a sizeable amount of furniture on your order. A typical trailer is 48 feet. We can sometimes accommodate smaller orders if we are able to "marry" them with other orders headed in the same geographical area. Dedicated Furniture Carriers pick-up our furniture un-cartoned. Our plant personnel "blanket wrap" the furniture in quilts supplied by the carrier and places the furniture directly on the trailer. The furniture remains on this trailer until the truck arrives at your customer's location. All of the unloading and reloading, where damage typically occurs, is eliminated. You should follow the same procedures when receiving this type of shipment. Another benefit of using a Dedicated Furniture Carrier is that there is no cost of cartons involved and you don't have to deal with the disposal of cartons which can also be a problem. Remember: Informing you will make you a happy customer By educating our customers on this receiving process, you will benefit.

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