Custom furniture is slow. That's normal. What's not normal is burning through your dispute window while the seller sends vague updates and zero proof. This checker tells you whether you're still in normal custom-order territory, drifting into caution, or at the point where you should escalate now.
Slow is not the same as sketchy. Small makers miss dates all the time. The problem is the pattern around the delay: vague updates, no proof the piece exists, full payment or a huge deposit, weak payment protection, or a seller who keeps stretching things until your leverage gets worse.
The blunt rule: once you are near the promised ship date, a legit seller should be able to show something concrete. That does not have to mean a finished piece, but it should mean build-progress photos, material shots tied to your order, a revised ship date in writing, or a credible freight plan. If all you have is “still in production” over and over, that is not enough.
You may only have a written order confirmation, dimensions, wood choice, and maybe rough material photos. That's still normal.
You should be able to get some evidence the job is real: logs/slabs selected, parts milled, frames dry-fit, finish sample approval, or at minimum a revised timeline that sounds specific rather than evasive.
Now the bar goes up. A real seller should be able to show a nearly completed piece, packed shipment, booked freight, or a revised date with a real reason. If they cannot show any of that, you stop treating this as harmless custom-shop slowness.