The EssentialReviews of theessential.com

Ordered a rug from the essential and honestly its been the best quality of every rug I've ordered recently. There is a little trust involved in the shipping process as it does take a while and feels a bit nebulous, but the end product that showed up was worth it. Plan to purchase more items from them as we work to furnish our loft.

I really wanted to like The Essential, but after three orders and three bad experiences, I won't be buying from them again. One thing worth noting if you're reading reviews is that many of the older 5-star reviews on this page appear to be for the previous version of The Essential, which sold groceries and everyday essentials such as toiletries. My experience is with the current homeware/furniture business, so I'd suggest paying particular attention to the most recent reviews. My first order arrived damaged. I contacted customer service expecting a straightforward refund, but was told they wouldn't do that. Instead, I was offered only a 50% refund if I kept the damaged item, or store credit if I returned it. After 22 emails back and forth, I accepted the store credit simply because I wanted the whole thing over with. Their return policy is frustratingly ambiguous, and resolving the issue became an exercise in debating the wording and interpretation of the policy. In my experience, if you receive an item that is defective or damaged, they will not provide a straightforward refund. I used that store credit towards a cutlery set, adding additional funds. Unfortunately, that order was somehow even worse. I received the wrong color, and the quality was awful. There were obvious molding marks left on the plastic handles (reminded me when I was a kid and would snap off plastic toy soldiers from their molds), the plastic was separating from the metal, and the forks weren't even consistent - one fork had three flat prongs and one pointed one. It looked and felt very cheaply made. I reported the issues immediately, provided photos when requested, and was told the matter had been escalated. Two weeks later after several emails from me seeking an answer, I finally received a return label, with no offer to replace the incorrect or defective items and no real attempt to resolve the poor experience beyond letting me return them. It then took over a month from first reporting the issue before I eventually received store credit. Against my better judgement, I decided to use that credit and give The Essential one final chance. I didn't really want anything else, but had no other choice or I'd be at a loss financially. That order arrived today. The item has scratches across the base and chipped paintwork. Three orders, three items arriving damaged, defective or incorrect. At this point, I give up. It's simply not worth any more of my time going through another customer service process. The Essential's appeal is that it offers more affordable alternatives to expensive designer products. Based on my experience, you're better off paying the extra for the original. These aren't necessarily cheap purchases, and the saving isn't worth much when the products repeatedly arrive with quality-control issues. The customer service representatives have been pleasant throughout, but good customer service can't compensate for consistently poor product quality.

What a lovely book tower! The piece is architectural, modern and well-made and beautifully holds my books in an elegant way. Communication with the vendor during the shipping process was flawless; I’m very happy. 😊

Terrible, the stuff they send doesn't match the photos at all and then when you try to get a refund the customer service gives you the run around

The worst online shopping experience of my life. I placed a $1,300+ order on May 31 and, after well over a month, I was still left without my furniture, without a confirmed delivery date, and without any verifiable proof that the shipment was actually moving. Every time I contacted customer service, I was given another excuse, another promise, and another request to "be patient." Estimated timelines came and went with no explanation. I was told the shipment would be picked up by FedEx "today or tomorrow," yet the FedEx tracking continued to show no movement. Instead of providing clear, verifiable shipping information, I was repeatedly directed to a third-party tracking website that did nothing to reassure me that my order was actually in transit. When I asked straightforward questions about where my order was and when it would arrive, I never received straightforward answers. For a company selling premium furniture, the lack of transparency and accountability is astonishing. If you are comfortable taking thousands of dollars from customers, you should be able to provide accurate shipping updates and communicate honestly when delays occur. After weeks of unanswered questions and missed promises, I reached the point where I had to consider disputing the charge with my credit card company because I no longer had confidence that I would receive what I paid for. This experience has completely destroyed my trust in this company. I would strongly encourage anyone considering ordering from The Essential to think very carefully before handing over their money. My experience was months of uncertainty, vague communication, and broken promises, not the level of service anyone should expect from a premium furniture retailer.

First purchase is a success story. It takes time to get and the wait was worth it in this case. Customer service is only through email correspondence, preference would be to speak with an actual person. Overall, my expectations were met

After returning the purchase from Essential, they refused to refund the surprise subscription made on purchase. Take care: this business operates a hard-nosed, unsympathetic business model. The company cleverly hides behind a virtual wall, so we cannot speak to anyone.

I have had nothing , but a bad experience with this company. I ordered 2 products and neither worked out. The first was an asterisk clock. The product they advertised is not what you get. The colors of the clock hands do not match the listing and are silver and gold and not white as advertised. They simply put a picture of an authentic Nelson asterisk clock, but send you a cheap knock off with different colors. The second product I purchased was a lamp. They sent the wrong color and I’ve now been waiting 3 months since the initial order to receive a replacement. Still hasn’t arrived. Absolutely ridiculous.