Tesco Leather Sofa

Becles

I bought some leather sofas on BOGOF from Tesco Direct that were delivered on the 1st December.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed shred marks and small holes on one of the seat cushions which have gradually got worse. I complained to Tesco who initially said it was fair wear and tear which I didn't accept as the sofa hasn't been misused and you expect a sofa to last longer than 2 months! It's only been sat on, the dog isn't allowed on furniture and the children don't jump on it.

I complained again and a technician came out yesterday. He poked the cushion with his finger and it went straight through! The leather is just paper thin and tears really easily.

He said the whole suite is made from split leather and explained that it's a very poor quality leather more suitable for covering the backs of sofa's where it's not going to get any wear. He's written on the report that the fabric is not fit for purpose and the sofa has not been misused.

He said in these cases, Tesco would take away the sofa and recover the faulty cushion.

However there is some wear on another seat cushion and marks where elbows have rested on the arm cushions. Although there are no holes yet, there are stretch marks and tiny splits which is what happened before the other holes appeared. I've got no faith that the sofa will last a decent length of time. I also don't want to go through the hassle of keep having the sofa removed for recovering when the other cushions fail. All the cushions are fixed onto the sofa and can't be taken off.

Am I entitled to a refund under the Sale of Goods Act? Or do I have to accept the cushion repairs that Tesco are keen on?

It's also interesting is that Tesco have now discontinued selling the sofas. Having since read up on leather (yes I know I should have done this before I bought it!) I'd rather have a refund and buy a sofa elsewhere made from a better quality leather so it will last.

deanos

After 2 months i would have thought you are entitled to a full refund as you have had a report to say they are not fit for purpose because of the poor quality leather

DSI

That's what you got for buying a Tesco Value sofa.

vivatifosi

Hi Becles,

I'm ex-furniture industry and was surprised to hear that they make sofas out of reconstituted/split leather, though I didn't work at that end of the industry. If you are having problems with the cushions, and the technician has mentioned it, then there is a good chance that you will have problems elsewhere.

You should be able to tell from the texture, thickness and suppleness of the leather whether it is the same in other parts of the sofa. If you have a look at leather on a good quality sofa the reverse of the leather will look like untreated suede and the dye will have been applied so that it penetrates the hide rather than sitting on the surface.

With reconstituted leather, bits of scrap leather are bound together, so you don't get the suede finish on the other side, I can't easily describe what it is like instead, but the fibres often feel stuck down and its sort of more like cardboard and often the leather is only surface dyed. The problem with reconstituted leather is that it is bits of leather stuck together. With split leather, the leather is divided into a number of thinner hides which impacts on the strength and stability of the hide. In this case the leather will feel far thinner than a standard upholstery leather and it may be backed with another material to give it strength. Edited to add: I've mentioned reconstituted leather as well as split leather because if you find one on your sofa you may also find the other and you'll know what to look for.

So with these cheaper leathers, unlike a hide, which will have been continuous on the animal and be a strong material although it can give a little, reconstituted and split leather can crack and split (genuine leather can also do this if not correctly applied or incorrecctly treated).

I'm not an expert on consumer law, but it sounds as though you have a good case, particularly as you have the backing of a professional technican and I would stick to my guns.

In the event that you get your money back, please ask to see the leather swatches for your new sofas and when you are happy with those that you have chosen, get it signed into the contract that the leather used will be that you have chosen. I also took pictures of the sofas in the store to make sure mine were identical. If they don't like that, don't buy it.

For additional peace of mind its worth buying from a furniture supplier which is a member of the Furniture Ombudsman Scheme. The scheme mediates between the supplier and the buyer of problem furniture and can assess problems that arise. It is run by FIRA, which acts similar to the British Standards Institute of the furniture industry. You can see a list of members for the ombudsman scheme here:

http://www.fira.co.uk/services/customercare/memberlookup.html

jessicar

The quality of the leather does matter an awful lot. I bought a sofa from John Lewis which was in the sale - think it cost about £2,600 full price six years ago.

Mine has had three dogs and a cat on it almost every day for 6 years, all the usual spillages and wear and tear and it still looks as good as new. A decent quality leather should be able to withstand a LOT.

Complain and keep complaining - they're selling complete tat.

Becles

Thanks very much for the informative reply vivatifosi. I have had a poke around both sofa's and the both seem to be made with very thin leather.

I'm going to push Tesco for a refund and buy a better quality suite elsewhere as I've got no faith that this one will last any length of time, and it's not something you can afford to replace on a regular basis.

I've been looking online and liked this one:
http://www.thomaslloyd.com/range/aspen/
It seems to be made with better quality leather and I read all the "look inside" pages about how their furniture is made, which I found interesting.

My husband is keen on going to DFS, but I can't find any information on their website as to how their sofa's are made or the type of leather they use. I'll ask questions when we go to their shop though.

hollydays

Seeing as they told you the leather wasn't fit for purpose,then the whole sofa isn't fit for purpose.You want a refund!