First, the good. For something made entirely of MDF, the finished piece is surprisingly good/looking, and sturdy. With the exception of the wooden dowel pins (see below) everything fit together perfectly and assembly was straightforward. The sliding doors work flawlessly and did not require any fine/tuning.
All of the little wooden dowel pins that help connect the various panels were too small for the pre/drilled holes and simply flopped around when I first put them in. I solved this problem by cutting little pieces of gummed packing tape which I then moistened and wrapped around the pins to increase their diameter. It took a bit of experimentation to determine the right amount of tape to use, but eventually I got it right. Still, it suggests someone in the manufacturers QC department was asleep at the switch.
One other, minor beef: The back panel for the central compartment is quite thin and not well secured to the other components. As a result, the wires coming out of the back of my receiver are pushing against it and causing it to bow outwards (even after using L/plugs). This could have been easily avoided by having a couple of additional connectors to attach the back panel to the surrounding pieces, or just using a thicker panel.
My biggest frustration with this item, and the basis for the 3 rating rather than a 4 or a 5: The package arrived badly damaged and when I opened it one of the key components (the bottom panel) was dented and unusable. While a seller cannot necessarily be held responsible for what happens during shipping, I would characterize the packing materials as inadequate for the size and weight of this product. The corrugated cardboard was flimsy and rather brittle, and the same was true for the styrofoam pads inside.
I contacted the seller and asked for a replacement part to be shipped ASAP. They agreed to this with no quibbling (and put through a small goodwill adjustment as well), but the part took over a week to get here. The package arrived in perfect condition, but lo and behold, when I opened it, the part was again dented! As far as I am concerned, this is just inexcusable – to ship an already/damaged part as a replacement on a warranty claim. So I again contacted the seller and they again agreed to ship a replacement part. This time it took over two weeks, and based on the tracking information, it appeared the item may have been sitting on a shipping dock for the better part of this time. (It took a further email from me to actually get things moving.)
Believe it or not, this replacement part also had a small dent on the corner but fortunately I was able to flatten it out with a clamp and some glue. At this point I simply didnt have the stomach to endure a third replacement shipment.
I am generally happy with the finished product but would describe the overall after/sale experience as maddening. Elapsed time from placement of the order to receipt of acceptable parts was five weeks, which IMHO is just unacceptable. A struggle.
Good quality. Is this cheap material? Yes. But is it cheap in price? Comparatively, yes. It was definitely beneficial to have another person to build this and it took some time and elbow grease but considering the price it looks nice and held up through a move. We got this in shaded and it wasnt as dark or as grey as expected which was good for us. Its hard to tell in the review images. Hope this helps!
Easy assembly. Over all, Im happy. There were two small nicks in the particle boards. One on the top, back corner. Not too terrible. One was hidden after assembly. Set up was not too tricky but Id suggest getting a set of the bolt locks from your local hardware store. Mine kept breaking when I was trying to install. Besides the break for a trip to get more bolts, the whole thing took about an hour to assemble. Im willing to bet it would be a fragile piece to move but it seems plenty sturdy for my tv and whatever else I decorate it with. It really looks nice.pictures do not do it justice. Im happy with the purchase even if it doesnt last forever.
Reviews
Nice product, but.
First, the good. For something made entirely of MDF, the finished piece is surprisingly good/looking, and sturdy. With the exception of the wooden dowel pins (see below) everything fit together perfectly and assembly was straightforward. The sliding doors work flawlessly and did not require any fine/tuning. All of the little wooden dowel pins that help connect the various panels were too small for the pre/drilled holes and simply flopped around when I first put them in. I solved this problem by cutting little pieces of gummed packing tape which I then moistened and wrapped around the pins to increase their diameter. It took a bit of experimentation to determine the right amount of tape to use, but eventually I got it right. Still, it suggests someone in the manufacturers QC department was asleep at the switch. One other, minor beef: The back panel for the central compartment is quite thin and not well secured to the other components. As a result, the wires coming out of the back of my receiver are pushing against it and causing it to bow outwards (even after using L/plugs). This could have been easily avoided by having a couple of additional connectors to attach the back panel to the surrounding pieces, or just using a thicker panel. My biggest frustration with this item, and the basis for the 3 rating rather than a 4 or a 5: The package arrived badly damaged and when I opened it one of the key components (the bottom panel) was dented and unusable. While a seller cannot necessarily be held responsible for what happens during shipping, I would characterize the packing materials as inadequate for the size and weight of this product. The corrugated cardboard was flimsy and rather brittle, and the same was true for the styrofoam pads inside. I contacted the seller and asked for a replacement part to be shipped ASAP. They agreed to this with no quibbling (and put through a small goodwill adjustment as well), but the part took over a week to get here. The package arrived in perfect condition, but lo and behold, when I opened it, the part was again dented! As far as I am concerned, this is just inexcusable – to ship an already/damaged part as a replacement on a warranty claim. So I again contacted the seller and they again agreed to ship a replacement part. This time it took over two weeks, and based on the tracking information, it appeared the item may have been sitting on a shipping dock for the better part of this time. (It took a further email from me to actually get things moving.) Believe it or not, this replacement part also had a small dent on the corner but fortunately I was able to flatten it out with a clamp and some glue. At this point I simply didnt have the stomach to endure a third replacement shipment. I am generally happy with the finished product but would describe the overall after/sale experience as maddening. Elapsed time from placement of the order to receipt of acceptable parts was five weeks, which IMHO is just unacceptable. A struggle.
Love it!
Looks solid, easy to assemble. Easy to assemble and looks great!! Great buy!
Tv stand
Good quality. So east to assemble, and great quality!! We are so happy with it !
Tv entertainment center
Value for money. Im so in love with the entertainment center love the color
Met my needs
Great! Easy assemble
When cheap is worth it
Good quality. Is this cheap material? Yes. But is it cheap in price? Comparatively, yes. It was definitely beneficial to have another person to build this and it took some time and elbow grease but considering the price it looks nice and held up through a move. We got this in shaded and it wasnt as dark or as grey as expected which was good for us. Its hard to tell in the review images. Hope this helps!
Careful while assembling shelf components
Good. Fairly easy to assemble.
Not exactly what I wanted.
Kids love it easy to put together. Sturdy and looks ok, but its particle board with a wood/look vaneer.
Aming product
Perfect. Sturdy, easy to follow directions, thru give you some extra pieces (just in case), so worth the money
Does the job, looks really nice
Easy assembly. Over all, Im happy. There were two small nicks in the particle boards. One on the top, back corner. Not too terrible. One was hidden after assembly. Set up was not too tricky but Id suggest getting a set of the bolt locks from your local hardware store. Mine kept breaking when I was trying to install. Besides the break for a trip to get more bolts, the whole thing took about an hour to assemble. Im willing to bet it would be a fragile piece to move but it seems plenty sturdy for my tv and whatever else I decorate it with. It really looks nice.pictures do not do it justice. Im happy with the purchase even if it doesnt last forever.
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