Was so excited to get my desk, and pleasantly surprised that the legs on the white desk are a bronze color, not the medium brown wood they appear in the picture, adding to the unique look--that's the only good news, however. As I put it together, and got to the second step, putting on the back, it was so hard to line up I had to remove the wooden dowels initially suggested. I finally got the screws in, and once they were all screwed in and I turned it around to move on to the next step I was horrified to discover that the wood had split at each location there was a screw. They had indeed been misaligned when made, which must be why the dowels would fit at the same time as the screws. I can only assume I got a defective model, because no-one else who's reviewed mentioned this difficulty, but I'm very upset and disappointed, to say the least. The idea of having to return something of this size is daunting, but it's obviously going back one way or another. So glad I bought the insurance. I thought of getting the expert assembly for a replacement desk, but at $101 if's over half the cost of the desk! I just dread the idea of this happening again. It's too late to call now and see what the company (or insurers) will do about return shipping--what a headache--and in the meantime I am without a desk, as I got rid of mine today to make room for this, in anticipation of having it ready for work tomorrow. Guess I'll be working from my kitchen table for the foreseeable future!
