Cey U.
A month for a replacement that never came — then weeks chasing a refund
Order #L3308992 - March 7, 2026 TL;DR: Ordered a $700+ Herman Miller lamp in March. Arrived broken. Three months later: no lamp, no refund, and a refund policy with no published deadline so they can never technically be “late.” Buy direct from the manufacturer instead. Read their returns policy carefully before you buy. Lumens does not commit to any specific refund timeframe — their policy says only that refunds will be issued “after the item has been returned and inspected.” No days. No weeks. No deadline. That vagueness is not an accident, and here is what it looks like in practice. I ordered a Nelson Cigar Lotus Floor Lamp (Herman Miller, ~$700) in March. It arrived broken. First failure: the replacement. Lumens’ own damaged-goods policy says “in most cases, we can order a replacement at no charge as soon as the damaged item is picked up.” I reported the damage the day of delivery. A replacement was “submitted.” Then — nothing. For a full month I waited. No replacement ever shipped. No proactive update. Every piece of progress required me to chase. After a month of that, I gave up on the replacement and asked for a refund. What followed: • Return authorization issued (Return Authorization: LR-308936), but the promised shipping labels did not arrive. Was told they would come in a couple of days. Waited a week. Nothing. • Called again. Labels appeared the same day — supposedly “stuck in a queue.” • Shipped the lamp back May 1. Warehouse confirmed receipt May 4. • Called May 9. Was told the refund would be issued within 10 business days of warehouse receipt — i.e., by May 18. • May 18 came and went. No refund. • Contacted Lumens today, May 20 (16 days after warehouse receipt). Rather than acknowledge the broken commitment, the agent told me they had “just submitted the request right now” and asked for another 3–5 business days. Translation: nothing was ever submitted after my May 9 call. The clock was being quietly restarted on me. Notice the asymmetry. Lumens publishes a concrete 8–10 business day timeline for filing carrier claims (which benefits them). They tell you exactly when your order ships and arrives — down to the day — because that is when they want your money. They become vague about timing only when it is their turn to pay you back. A policy with no refund deadline means they can never technically be “late.” Every escalation becomes a negotiation rather than the enforcement of a rule. You are not holding them to a commitment; you are asking for a favor. One more thing worth knowing: if your item arrives damaged and you choose a refund rather than a replacement, Lumens’ policy deducts the return shipping from your refund — even though the damage was not your fault. Damaged-on-arrival should be on them, not the buyer. The lesson: if you want a Herman Miller piece (or anything premium), buy directly from the manufacturer. The Lumens markup buys you nothing — not service, not accountability, not even basic execution on the policies they publish on their own website. Filing a credit card chargeback and a BBB complaint today. I shouldn’t have to.
Response from LumensMay 21, 2026
Dear Ceylon, I sincerely apologize for our failure to follow through on our commitments regarding both your refund and the replacement process. We understand how frustrating and disappointing this experience has been, especially given the expectations we set with you. We take full responsibility for the lack of timely communication and follow-through on our part. In particular, we failed to properly follow up regarding the warranty sticker required for the replacement process, which caused unnecessary delays and confusion. Additionally, our warehouse did not properly mark the lamp as received, further contributing to the breakdown in handling your case. I do want to let you know that your return has now been properly cleared, and your refund is being processed. This is not the level of service we strive to provide, and I regret the inconvenience and frustration this situation has caused. We are currently reviewing your case and taking immediate steps to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience and for giving us the opportunity to make this right. We truly value your trust and appreciate your understanding. Sincerely, Kate Customer Experience