Argos direct - can I send something back after 20 months?

cymrubaby

I bought 2 chocolate leather sofas from Argos which were home delivery only. They were both available on 2 years interest free credit so my mum bought them on her Argos card and I've been paying £40 a month since June 2007. In total they cost almost £1000.

A couple of months ago I noticed a small hole in the leather arm of one of the sofas (it's more like the side of the sofa where you sit). This hole has now increased to a full-blown rip and I don't want to have to fork out for a repair because it wasn't caused through any accidental damage by us.

Am I right in thinking that the sofa in question hasn't lasted as long as 'reasonably expected'? I'm sure you're still entitled to a refund or repair within 5 years but I'm not 100% certain.

I think I should probably just get my mum to phone them and ask but I don't want them to try and fob us off, I want to be armed with some facts.

Thanks

DaisyFlower

You wont be entitled to a refund due to the age of the item, however if you can prove the "hole" is a fault and not down to damage or wear and tear you may be entitled to a repair.

emweaver

You are entitled to a repair and I think if that doesnt resolve it or it keeps reoccuring then an exchange. But Ive returned electrical goods after 8-9 months and got a full refund. I would contact head office not your local store

cymrubaby

Thanks for that - I don't want a refund (I should have mentioned that) and am happy to accept a repair or exchange so I've arranged with my mum to call Argos card customer services tomorrow and see where we go from there. Hopefully they'll agree to send a repair guy out. I checked my home contents insurance policy and sadly I didn't take out new for old cover or accidental damage cover. Methinks I'll be changing my cover when it runs out next month.

Mummy_Jo

Under the sale of Goods Act 1979 products should last for "a reasonable length of time". However what is reasonable for one product is not reasonable for another. I think that a sofa should last more than 20 months. I would argue that the goods are not fit for purpose or have been made of a satisfactory quality. Argos as the retailer are liable for this.

I am a member of Which Legal service and have found them invaluable over the past few years with this sort of thing. They have saved me more money than I have spent on the membership. Alternatively ring your local trading standards office ( I don't find mine that helpful) or try searching on google for sale of goods act.

Let us know how you get on with Argos.

cymrubaby

Mummy_Jo wrote: »

Let us know how you get on with Argos.

Well I called Argos and they said I have to get an independent report from a leather furniture expert to prove it's a manufacturing fault and if it is I can have an exchange or repair bills paid.

I called some upholsterers and not many of them are willing to get involved which I was quite shocked at. They don't want my money to write a report that either says 'yes - manufacturing fault' or 'No, wear and tear'. I did find one who was willing to help though and he gave a very thorough explanation over the phone before he'd come out as he didn't want me to waste my money. He basically told me to look at the grain and look behind the torn material to see whether it was backed by a cloth type material which it was. He said that the inside arms of my sofa seems to be covered by vinyl which is common but that vinyl is generally built to last.

He says the holes and rips could have easily been made accidentally by people's feet (we have 3 kids) when lying on the sofa and that vinyl doesn't usually wear away naturally to cause that much damage. He said if this was the case with ours then we'd be paying £40 for a report which might say it's our fault.

Since he said this I'm reluctant to press ahead just in case it really was one of my kids who caused it. However, I discovered a repair would cost around £400!!! :eek: My sofas were only £1000 the pair so I'm loathe to fork out £400 to fix the inside arm.

What else can I possibly do? My hubby wants to patch it up with thick tape but I think that will look common and awful.

jaytin

Does Argos not do a fabric Swatch service? If they can still supply the same fabric sample as your sofa (I know it's less likely after this time), but then you might be able to patch it and it won't be so unsightly as trying to 'stick' it back together. Even if they do just a similar fabric in the same colour you might be able to make it look ok. Tape is surely a very last resort. I got a lot of fabric swatches from Littlewoods before I chose our sofa, even another company is worth try for some free samples.

soolin

Just out of interest I bought two cream leather recliner sofas from Argos a few years back. The first lasted about 6 weeks before leather on the foot part split and tore and the springs went on the end seats.

They were seen by an independent assessor who said they were not fit for purpose, so Argos took them away and delivered new ones. The only thing the assessor did say was that leather needs to be kept supple, so I bought some saddle soap stuff from Ikea and used that. The second set of sofas lasted about 15 months but frankly we hate the blooming things so much that we have left it and plan to just replace them this month. The seats are rubbed and worn, the leather has split in several places and the springs have gone.

I do have teenage sons but they certainly aren't allowed to treat the sofas badly (not like some of the adverts on TV for sofas where people bounce all over them). I just assume these are very shoddy items and will just remember never to buy cheaply from Argos again.

soolin

jaytin wrote: »

Does Argos not do a fabric Swatch service? If they can still supply the same fabric sample as your sofa (I know it's less likely after this time), but then you might be able to patch it and it won't be so unsightly as trying to 'stick' it back together. .

I wouldn't want to patch leather personally as these sofas are badly wearing as it is and leather has a tendency to 'pull' along the stitched edge.

frogglet

You can get leather repair kits such as this:

http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Leather_Repair_Kit.htm