The Master Craftsman

The company re-finished dining room table & chairs. Originally very happy with the job done. However, after delivery noticed damage to the table which probably happened during delivery. Called the company many, many times but they seem to have taken the money and run. They don't reply to either phone calls or e-mails. Too bad too because we were going to use them again but most definitely not now.

We had a sofa and chair redone by master craftsman four years ago and decided on them because it was an antique one from early 30's and very unique. We chose them because we wanted to pay whatever it took to make sure this would last us another 25 years. $2700 dollars later we got it back, of course it was more than the original quote because they told us they needed to repair all the springs, but that was okay with us. Anyway, we used it for a year, it was in storage for two years while we went to school, then we got it back about a year and a half ago. Now the fabric is falling apart at the seams and everytime we sit on it it gets more and more frayed. I have contacted Toronto about this but apparently the warranty is only good if you deliver the stuff to them and pay to get it shipped back...I live in Saskatchewan....so I guess I have NO warranty! Funny, when they guy got it done originally he said it should last us 25 years...hah, hah, hah...now we have to pay significantly more to recover it again here. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go to a company that only repairs based on you delivering to them and picking up....God forbid you should ever move!!!!!

We seen The Master Craftsman at a home show and thought we'd sign up for the free quote. We recently moved from another city and were not aware of any refinishing companies in the area so we thought we'd give them a try. A pushy salesman came to our home and treated us as if we knew nothing about antiques. He looked at the 4 pieces we wanted refinished and appraised them at much higher than they were worth. We are well versed in antiques and have been collecting our pieces very carefully for over 20 years. The salesman was either trying to take advantage of us or wasn't qualified for the job. He also noticed a table and buffet and hutch set we had built for us a few months ago and told us it was a very valuable antique. Obviously we were very leery. The quote he gave us for the refinishing was outrageous, laughable really. We've had many of our antiques refinished in the past year (beautifully done) and his quotes were triple what most other companies charge. When we told him the quote was too high, he proceeded to haggle for a lower price, instead of giving us an honest quote upfront. The salesman was beyond pushy and we had a hard time getting him out of our home. The next day we started receiving phonecalls, pressuring us into signing a contract. It got so bad we seriously considered changing our phone number. We are very disappointed with their business tactics and wouldn't recommend them to anyone. All you get out of the free quote is disrespect and dishonesty.

What are Master Craftsman masters of? 1. The pushy salesman came to my home and atached a huge dollar value to my hutch. I am suspect of his ability since he referred to my cheap Leon’s chair as an antique and valued it at $3,000-$4,000.
2. I was promised the hutch back in 6 weeks, it’s now 15 weeks and they tell me it will be a further 2 weeks. But, they’ve told me it “another 2 weeks” at least twice before, so I don’t believe them.
3. The cost is now 185% of the original quote.
4. They keep flattering me with comments about the value, age, and uniqueness of my hutch. I don’t know it’s provenance, but I do know it’s neither valuable nor antique.

A Master Craftsman representitve from a kiosk in the mall set up an appointment for a salesman to visit our home. During that visit there were a lot of questions with respect to the origin of the furniture, was it inherited, how old did I think it was etc. An estimated cost of $6,920.00 for the total repair was given. While the salesman was with us he received a phone call and we were told that Christmas had come early, estimated price was now $5,300.00. As time went on they called several times with upgrades that were required. End price was about $7,344.00. After finally getting our furniture back we had an appraisal done - total value for all three pieces - $5,500.00. Imagine our disappointment. Although we were pleased with the final product with the exception of the braiding which had been glued on instead of using tacks as was done with the original we were very unhappy with the business tactics of this company. We would not recommend this company to anyone.

Salesman quoted over $1,000.00 and came down to $530.00 inclusive of taxes to secure the transaction. I felt this was very high but the table had sentimental value. I was later contacted two separate times by the company recommending additional work of an approximate cost of $300.00 total. I declined both times. After the first call I requested my table back but was advised that the work had already been commenced and we had a contract. This left me feeling that the finished product would be far from satisfactory. The salesman also advised they could lighten the colour to match my existing furniture. This was not achieved. I was very disappointed. If the salesman had given me an accurate cost for the work to be done, I would not have proceeded.

I met these guys at the homeshow, signed up for a consultation. I needed some minor repairs to some antique furniture. A high pressure salesman comes to my door with a long winded (2 hr) high pressure sales pitch. Which I eventually fell for after talking down the price. Next day they pick up the furniture, then every 2 weeks or so a telemarketing “upseller” calls indicating some serious problem has been uncovered and these additional items must be done to protect my furniture. Every 2 weeks another high pressure upseller, and another $700 needed to fix the problem. (every 2 weeks so you don’t exercise “right of rescission” If you refuse the upseller another one calls each day until you accept it) So a simple repair became a $5000 odyssey. Furniture is completely rebuilt against my wishes thereby ruining it’s value as an antique. Additionally the chairs all wobble and are uncomfortable to sit in. Save yourself a lot of money and aggravation. AVOID

My wife inhereted a dining set, a 'buffet'and a very old mostly wood loveseat (she calls it a 'settee') from her Grandmother. Her Nona loved the set, but it really looked like old junk to me very rough and damaged.
I tried to fix the set, but it just looked worse. A local antique shop refused to touch it (they said they were "too busy") and another gave me an insane price with no guarantee of the results.
I saw The Master Craftsman and gave them a try. A rep came to our house and, instead of giving us a price right away, he talked to us about furniture, and the right and wrong way furniture is restored.
He quoted us a price for a total restoration that was frankly, too high for me. We discussed our concerns and eliminated a couple of elaborate repairs that I really did not think were necessary. So we were able to compromise on a price.
I really thought nona's set was too far gone to be repaired. But the set looked really good when it came back it was magnificent. I was impressed at the how well the repairs worked out. It looks like new again. I had no idea such rough furniture could be brought back.
My wife thought one of the wood chairs did not match the others. It was close but not perfect. The folks at the office said no problem, took the chair back and adjusted the colour at no extra cost, even though we had already paid and accepted the furniture. I thought that was honest for the company.
We are really happy with our set now, and think its money well-spent

This company knows furniture and did a great job for me. After spending six months trying to find a new sofa and chair without any success, I decided to have a look at restoring my favourite arm chair and matching sofa. The Master Craftsman's estimator came out to inspect my furniture and I could tell they knew what they were doing. I though the price was high, but I wanted a good job. When it came back I was very impressed with the quality and workmanship. I also have a 5 year warranty to keep me even more comfortable - I love my old chair new! Thanks

Our dining room suite has been in our family for over 50 years. We debated for years whether or not to have it restored. The representative sent to our house was knowledgeable, professional, and above all took the time to answer our questions and expain the entire process. Once the furniture was sent to the shop, the service and follow up we received was above expectation. There was a minor issue that became apparent after the furniture was stripped, but the way it was handled was professional and enlightening. We received the furniture back, and it is so much more than expected, even for the price that we paid. It is obvious that this company took the time and effort required to properly restore our antiques.