dfs furniture - very poor leather suite - even poorer service

Brooker_Dave

d.edna wrote: »

8 years for a sofa is good

We've got DFS sofas, they're looking a bit tired, but then they're 7 and were cheap.

The interest free credit over 4 years must be a big chunk of the price of anything from DFS....

I know a bloke who imports furniture, it used to be all from Italy, now it's Chinese, apparantly people just want cheepo stuff, nobody will pay for quality...

d.edna

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

We've got DFS sofas, they're looking a bit tired, but then they're 7 and were cheap.

The interest free credit over 4 years must be a big chunk of the price of anything from DFS....

I know a bloke who imports furniture, it used to be all from Italy, now it's Chinese, apparantly people just want cheepo stuff, nobody will pay for quality...

Italian are ment to be the best so I am told. My 12 year old Furtniture world leather sofas are built in britian and still going strong.

DFS I have on good info get the sofas for £99 hense why they can afford to give 435 million years or whatever intrest free because in the first year alone thye have the £ on the sofa

vivatifosi

There are excellent furniture craftspeople in Italy and some still exist in the UK, though many excellent manufacturers are being priced out of the market. Certainly in terms of design, Italy is great and is home to some of the best design fairs. There is a tendency for many manufacturers to get products in from China now, and there are some great factories there, but often the staff don't have the furniture DNA and experience that makes them great craftspeople. Ironically, this was starting to turn a bit before the credit crunch, when importers realised how much it was costing to ship in with fuel prices rising. I'm also seeing more imports from cheaper labour countries that are now inside the EU - such as Lithuania that has the same type of forestry resources as Sweden but without the high labour costs, and Turkey.

Edited to add: if you're wondering what all this means to the quality of your product, a good craftsperson will look at a scarred piece of leather, but work out how to use it somewhere that isn't apparent, an unskilled craftsperson will just use the next piece of leather. A good craftsperson will know about how the grain in wood runs. They would be able to spot pieces of wood that are likely to be less durable and either discard them, or use them somewhere where it matters less to the structure. Whereas buyers in companies that are knocking out the lowest price components will buy the cheapest leathers, cheapest wood, cheapest fabrics (Ikea for example often uses non-upholstery fabrics once they've been fire tested though in part they do this to be current). If you want something that lasts longer then the answer is either to pay more or buy a good item second hand.

number9

I've just put a few points on our dispute to the Furniture Ombudsman asking if they can offer any guidance/clarify what may be the correct reconsilliatory route. They may answer or not... but I just want to get as much info as I can before I will be speaking to DFS again.

Two and a bit years shelf life for a leather suite? Come on DFS, you're kidding me...

vivatifosi

Great news. Good luck number9, hope you get a favourable outcome.

number9

vivatifosi wrote: »

Great news. Good luck number9, hope you get a favourable outcome.

Thanks. I just hope I can get the thing re-covered without costs. I can't have them attempt another colour mismatched, botch-up repair whatever...That's why we were a little tempted to accept the £500 cost if given credit but we really shouldn't be out of pocket at all because of this poor suite.

debmw

I had a DFS Suite delivered on the 18th Nov, thats 6 whole days ago! For 3 of those days I was at work - full time - and then of course there are the hours I spend sleeping!! So if the furniture has been used for more than 50 hours, its pushing it!!!
The arm chair is now loosing the colour from the left hand arm! Its a dark brown leather suite, 3 seater sofa, armchair and footstool. It has cost me a small fortune and I feel very let down with the quality!
The arm of the armchair is flaking and the colour peels off so easily! You only have to rub your hand over the arm and it flakes off exposing the tan leather beneath it!
They are sending an inspector out next tuesday to "take a look". Im less than happy and want them to replace the chair, if not the whole suite!
Any suggestions of what I can be armed with for when they arrive??
Thanks!

cajef

Reject it under the sale of goods act as not fit for the purpose, get your money back and go to a decent furniture store that does not sell crap goods like DFS.

perini

I ordered a suite from dfs and it is now ready for delivery. 5 weeks ago I went back into the store to have a look at another sofa for my sister. I checked my one out and noticed the mechanism on the recliners is very loose. I told the salesman that was not good enough and was not worth 2000. He told me he would try to re-allocate it but didn't get back to me. As I ordered it to my specification I don't have the right to cancel. But I feel it's not fit for purpose and have refused delivery. Spoke to the manager who was really annoyed and has demanded I come in urgently to discuss this as the salesman had not made him aware that I was not happy. I am going on Saturday morning and am very fearful of this manager and what he is going to insist I do which is take delivery of the furniture. As they are suppose to be sales people I am surprised they could not sell it on especially as it is nothing more than a 3 and a 2 seater sofa with 2 recliners in a modern dark brown, so it's not like I ordered a shocking pink sofa. Any one got any suggestions?

dhep1

check out the sales contract before you sign charged £24.00 care kit, £35.00 delivery told covered for stains and leather cost £145.00 but only says leather cover, had the suite two days and already scratched have two cats they have only walked on it but the suite i am giving away 10 years old no scratches also had the abuse of a great dane climbing on it no longer have the dog can't see this lasting 6 months cats now banned from the room paid double the price for this suite only changed it because of colour old one black this one brown