Mis-sold a sofabed! After 6months needs replacing! Help!!... -- UPDATE..!!

Bexm

Hello!

Ok.. I am hoping this is the right forum.. but I really need advice!

My husband and I got married last yr and as a wedding gift we asked for vouchers for a particular large department store that we could put towards a sofa.

After adding some money to the vouchers we were able to afford a £900 sofa. The one we liked happened to be a sofa bed. We had made it perfectly clear to the sales advisor that we intended in using it as a normal day to day sofa in our living room and were not advised that there would be a problem.

After 6 months the cushions on sofa had gone really soft so much so you could feel the bed underneath through them, which is very hard and made the sofa very uncomfortable, so much so that we both got a "numb bum" after using it.

I called the department store and they sent out a furniture inspector to see what was wrong with it. He advised us that as it was a sofa bed it was for occasional use only and should not have been used constantly as it was not made for that, but agreed the cushions had gone very soft. We told him we were never told that but he told us he'd write a report and the department store would get back to us.

After waiting and receiving no phone call I called them, and they said they were going to speak to someone and see if they could fix it. Again I waited but still no call.. anyway after a few calls I eventually found they were waiting for their upholstery man to call me but he was on holiday.

Yesterday I called them again (after waiting 3 weeks) and they said they'd call me back.. but never did, so I called them again today.

They told me that they had spoken to the upholstery man and he had advised them that all he could do was restuff it which would probably only last another 6 months with continued use.. and as it is a sofa bed it would be at a cost of £200 to us because we had overused it.

Obviously I was not happy and got a call from a manager, who told me their staff were well trained and would never sell a sofa bed with the impression that it could be used continually. They said they had even spoken to the sales advisor that sold it to us.
As a gesture of good will they would give me £50 towards restuffing the sofa!!

So now my problem is, we were mis-sold a £900 sofa that after 6months is really uncomfortable.. and I know for absolute sure we were not told that we couldn't continually use it as a sofa (Altho now it's been explained to me it makes perfect sense.. but that's not the point!) If we had been told we wouldn't have bought it.

But obviously I have no proof as I didn't record the sale.. (who would!!)

Bearing in mind this store is apparently a highly reputable one.. What can I do??? Please help! as I refuse to pay to fix the damn thing especially as it will only go soft again in another 6months. And I can't afford a new sofa! And it's their fault anyway!


Thank you to those who have got this far! Any advice or similar situations would be much appreciated.

Bex

dmg24

This is a difficult one, without proof that you specified that the sofa would be used on a daily basis you are going to struggle to get anywhere. Which dept store is it? Have you tried contacting their head office? If it is John Lewis you tend to get positive results from contacting head office, and though you should not need to, from naming and shaming.

Bexm

I have been given the department head's name and address to contact and asked for head office's address which they wouldn't give because they said it would get directed straight back to the store..! But I think I will give it ago! Must be on their web site..! I don't really want to name them.. but think you know who it is..

I'm so frustrated.. I want to cry!
The sofa we had before was 15 yrs old.. and we'd inherited it from our parents and although it was very worn and a little soft it was still totally usable!! Now we havea six month old sofa we can't even comfortably sit on!

flea72

when they say for occasional use only, ive always thought that referred to the bed part, not the sofa

Flea

dmg24

I wouldn't even contact the department head, they will back up their staff (I've been through this twice!). Write to head office and stipulate that you would like a response from head office, not from the store.

If you are not sure of the address, check www.saynoto0870.com for a phone number, call and ask for contact details for the Chairmans Office. They will either put you through to one of his staff or give you an address.

Let us know how you get on!

McKneff

flea72 wrote: »

when they say for occasional use only, ive always thought that referred to the bed part, not the sofa

Flea

That has always been my understanding.

i would also have a word with trading standards if i were you.

dmg24

Some interesting reading from the website of a higher end retailer ...

http://www.johnlewis.com/Magazine/Feature.aspx?Id=50

Of course the ultimate flexibility comes from the sofa bed! Not just for living rooms, sofa beds are worth considering for studies or spare bedrooms where you want more than a single bed but don't want to commit the space permanently. Our sofa beds are built to last, with simple and sturdy pull-out mechanisms and good mattresses - comfortable for both sitting and sleeping. Bear in mind that sofa beds to have a firmer sit because of the mattress mechanism beneath.

A definite contradiction of what you have been told!

Bexm

McKneff wrote: »

That has always been my understanding.

i would also have a word with trading standards if i were you.

Apparently it goes for both.. but either way they didn't tell us! and we didn't even think of it!

Bexm

DMG24.. hmm that post is definitly something to keep in mind whilst writing my letter..! Will definitly send to head office..

PasturesNew

How close to 6 months was this?

"for six months after the purchase, it is up to the retailer to show that a fault on an item is down to the actions or misuse of the buyer, rather than an inherent fault in the product."

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargains-and-rip-offs/tips-and-guides/article.html?in_advicepage_id=131&in_article_id=487339&in_page_id=5&position=moretopstories

Also other info/links in there that might be useful.

the_rottweiler

if it is John Lewis here are the head office details

John Lewis
171 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 5NN
Tel: 0207 828 1000