LUND RUG GALLERY

Shocking customer service from Lund Rug Gallery, Dunkeld, Johannesburg. After paying a fortune upfront for custom made rugs, and them arriving very late from India, upon delivery we noted the fibres were all coming out from general traffic. I informed the dismissive store manager, Loryn, who did not believe me initially but then said shedding is normal. The threads continued to come out, despite them being advertised as hand tufted, which is misleading as they do not even have a knot to tie in the fibres, rather a held held machine and cheap glue is used. This being confirmed by the owner of an upmarket boutique rug store. After a stain, the professional cleaner who has cleaned all my expensive rugs for 10 years, would not touch it, claiming that all threads were just falling out with a gentle rub. Again Loryn refused to contact him for his observations. I was then told since I used water to try clean the rug I have damaged the rug and they cannot sell it now - they sell rugs for dining rooms but water apparently ruins the rug for life. These rugs are sold for family homes but they are not washable, instead you must pay a fortune each time to go to a professional who cannot even clean the rug. Lund eventually got their own cleaner to try clean the mark and even they couldn't get a basic mark out. They refused to take back my entrance rug for this reason because I used water - but they still insist it was a harsh chemical. I was not told that you cannot try gently rub the rug with a slightly damp cloth with water. Loryn claims she told me this. Neither I nor my decorator remember such a thing. I was also not given cleaning instructions for the rug. I would have never gone ahead if I knew the dangers of water to a rug! What is worse is that the owner, Russell Lund, refuses to have anything to do with his customers and despite asking to speak to him 8 times, he refused, even my husband who stepped in because I could not deal with such unreasonable people. We had not finalised anything via email and Loryn unilaterally sent the rug back to my house without closing the loop or asking if she could deliver. Instead I have now been charged a handling fee for my dining rug which was shocking quality and I am sitting with a rug that is not washable and sheds at every opportunity. I could have received better quality at a cheap market. AVOID LUND AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. Shocking quality and even worse service where the customer is not believed and they act like the bulldozers they have proved to be. I will make every effort to warn decorators and consumers not to waste their money and put themselves through undue stress.