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DFS Complaint Result...
Intasun32
Posts: 443 Forumite
This is a long saga but will be of help to many DFS customers.
I also made the mistake of purchasing a sofa and two armchairs from DFS last June. By the end of September the once plump cushions were so flat that when you sat down you could feel the frame and springs. I also found that when seated the dye would run onto my clothes.
I e-mailed DFS, and much to my surprise after reading the many posts on various forums, I received a call within a few hours from the store I purchased the suite. I was informed that due to his workload (!!!) they could not send a service manager to inspect the suite till a week before Xmas, nearly two months.
When the service manager arrived the nearly 6 month old suite was looking more like 6 years old. Like those who have posted he immediately offered to add more fibres as he agreed that there had not been enough in the cushions, telling me that this was not a problem he had come across before. (Really!) I asked if he had Googe DFS complaints and he quickly changed the subject. I then showed him clothes that had been stained by the dye from the suite. He told me that he would discuss the problem with his manager and get back to me after the New Year holiday, which he did.
I was informed that DFS would add more fibre but did not see that the dye bleeding onto clothes was a problem! I was very angry and wrote a letter to head office to which I received a call from the store manager who offered to send another service manager to give a second opinion, this being a colleague of the one that visited before Xmas. I refused. The store manager told me that he was satisfied that there was no problem with the suite. I asked that the area service manager visit to give a second inspection to which I was told he was too busy! I asked for his number and this was refused but the manager said he would call him and ask to to make contact with me.
He called a few hours later and was arrogant and rude informing me that 'the problem did not warrant his time as the store had already inspected the suite.' He told me that the store had offered to add additional fibres take it or leave it!
I called Consumer Direct who were very helpful with information but sadly have no 'clout' to act. I called the 'Furniture Ombudsman' who arbitrate in disputes with FIRA members (the furnture store 'club'!) but the feedback I found online was not very good. I discovered that I had an ace card up my sleeve, I had purchased the suite on 18 month interest free credit so the finance company had an interest in my problem. Sadly, or so I thought, it was with Santander who had some really bad press over the past months.
I called Santander and explained my situation, much to my surprise they were very helpful. I sent all the paperwork they require an lo and behold I received a call fron the DFS General Manager two weeks later wanting to visit and inspect the suite. The Head Office also called asking if I would wait until the visit till I continued with 'Chargeback' claim, no chance.
The General Manager arrived with the store manager, who had told me that there was no problem with the suite, to inspect the suite and the many clothes that I had save with the dye marks. In ten minutes he agreed to either replace or refund my money. You can guess which I chose? The visit was Friday lunch time and the suite was picked up on Monday morning.
The loan was settle within two weeks and I have received all the loan payments that I had made to Santander.
Don't be bullied by DFS, take advice from Consumer Direct and take it as far as you can. You only have to Google to see that your problem is not a 'one off' as DFS would have you to believe.
:beer:
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I also made the mistake of purchasing a sofa and two armchairs from DFS last June. By the end of September the once plump cushions were so flat that when you sat down you could feel the frame and springs. I also found that when seated the dye would run onto my clothes.
I e-mailed DFS, and much to my surprise after reading the many posts on various forums, I received a call within a few hours from the store I purchased the suite. I was informed that due to his workload (!!!) they could not send a service manager to inspect the suite till a week before Xmas, nearly two months.
When the service manager arrived the nearly 6 month old suite was looking more like 6 years old. Like those who have posted he immediately offered to add more fibres as he agreed that there had not been enough in the cushions, telling me that this was not a problem he had come across before. (Really!) I asked if he had Googe DFS complaints and he quickly changed the subject. I then showed him clothes that had been stained by the dye from the suite. He told me that he would discuss the problem with his manager and get back to me after the New Year holiday, which he did.
I was informed that DFS would add more fibre but did not see that the dye bleeding onto clothes was a problem! I was very angry and wrote a letter to head office to which I received a call from the store manager who offered to send another service manager to give a second opinion, this being a colleague of the one that visited before Xmas. I refused. The store manager told me that he was satisfied that there was no problem with the suite. I asked that the area service manager visit to give a second inspection to which I was told he was too busy! I asked for his number and this was refused but the manager said he would call him and ask to to make contact with me.
He called a few hours later and was arrogant and rude informing me that 'the problem did not warrant his time as the store had already inspected the suite.' He told me that the store had offered to add additional fibres take it or leave it!
I called Consumer Direct who were very helpful with information but sadly have no 'clout' to act. I called the 'Furniture Ombudsman' who arbitrate in disputes with FIRA members (the furnture store 'club'!) but the feedback I found online was not very good. I discovered that I had an ace card up my sleeve, I had purchased the suite on 18 month interest free credit so the finance company had an interest in my problem. Sadly, or so I thought, it was with Santander who had some really bad press over the past months.
I called Santander and explained my situation, much to my surprise they were very helpful. I sent all the paperwork they require an lo and behold I received a call fron the DFS General Manager two weeks later wanting to visit and inspect the suite. The Head Office also called asking if I would wait until the visit till I continued with 'Chargeback' claim, no chance.
The General Manager arrived with the store manager, who had told me that there was no problem with the suite, to inspect the suite and the many clothes that I had save with the dye marks. In ten minutes he agreed to either replace or refund my money. You can guess which I chose? The visit was Friday lunch time and the suite was picked up on Monday morning.
The loan was settle within two weeks and I have received all the loan payments that I had made to Santander.
Don't be bullied by DFS, take advice from Consumer Direct and take it as far as you can. You only have to Google to see that your problem is not a 'one off' as DFS would have you to believe.
:beer:
[threadbanner] box [/threadbanner]
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Comments
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OMG. I have had a similar issue to yours. My cushions pulped down to next to nothing. DFS have re upultsed them 3 times now. I have had the whole seating re sprung under the 4 seater sofa. Apparently the manager said our 4 seater (sold as a 4 seater) is really a large 2 seater this is why the cushions keep crushing. I am getting no joy. All they keep doing is re vamping them. As you said the suit looks 6 years old and not 18months. Cheap expensive toot!0
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great result, DFS are cowboys!! i'd never buy from them. PLUS a bit of praise for santander too0
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Intasun32. It is great to read your success story. I must say we are beginning to wish we had taken up the interest free credit option.
:beer:
Good for you.0 -
The issue of restuffing the seat cushions does not work really because the extra filling can go into lumps. The issue is with them using Fibre fill seat interiors of lets say not the best quality!
You would be far better if they could offer a seat inner with a foam core. This will then give the seat some body and not be as liable to flattening as a pure fibre fill seat. Or if they could offer a good quality fibre inner such as quolofill which are used in better end upholstery.
And as for the 4 seater being a 2 seater well I think he is grabbing at straws there - utter rubbish in my opinion. If there is an issue with the size then why do a company with so much experience in the furniture market keep on supplying what is an unsuitable product.0 -
Yes thanks for the heads up on this issue Intasun32 :money:
I am having a similar situation on mine is an L-shape leather suite that's ripping at the seems and the padding's gone all flat!
Tried DFS but got told all that's not covered under their stain warranty. Tried explaining to them that the salesman at the time back in June 2006 had told me the suite has a 5 year guarantee (that we paid extra for) and if anything happens in that time to come see them and they would first try to fix the problem but 9 out of 10 times they only try fixing once then just replace for a new model of a similar type if the original is not available and as we all know sofa designs change as often as a few months these days! In fact, so do their staff as that salesman is no longer there!!
I am defo going to DFS HQ now as I hear more and more neg stories like yours - these mega-rich conglomerates should not be allowed to get away with it!!! :mad:0 -
Yes thanks for the heads up on this issue Intasun32 :money:
I am having a similar situation on mine is an L-shape leather suite that's ripping at the seems and the padding's gone all flat!
Tried DFS but got told all that's not covered under their stain warranty. Tried explaining to them that the salesman at the time back in June 2006 had told me the suite has a 5 year guarantee (that we paid extra for) and if anything happens in that time to come see them and they would first try to fix the problem but 9 out of 10 times they only try fixing once then just replace for a new model of a similar type if the original is not available and as we all know sofa designs change as often as a few months these days! In fact, so do their staff as that salesman is no longer there!!
I am defo going to DFS HQ now as I hear more and more neg stories like yours - these mega-rich conglomerates should not be allowed to get away with it!!! :mad:
I worked at DFS in 2006 ,It sounds like the salesman lied and missold you a five year stain warranty.The standard free furniture warranty was two years and you could not extend it.Worth contacting DFS though.0 -
wow! THAT WAS A RESULT YOU HAD, WELL DONE!
we have a 13 month old leather suite from there that i have found last week has a small tear in the leather & the footstool base is loose and makes a horrible noise, i rang DFS on monday as we took out the extra leather care warranty aswell, also we are paying interest free and took the opt out for a year so have only made 4 paymens i think, thats interesting to know you went to Santander who helped you!
i will let you know how we get on, i have someone coming our beginning of April.
also though i forget to mention the first week i had to call them out as i found a large scratch on the arm of the chair that i think they did when they delivered it into my front roo, and he fobbed me off saying it was in the leather and its a 'natural' mark!!!!!! its a scratch!!!!!mummy to 3 monsters!
trying to money save, but spot too many bargains on here!!0 -
DamnedFrustratedwithSofa wrote: »I must say we are beginning to wish we had taken up the interest free credit option. .
How did you pay?
If you made ANY payment on a Credit Card or finance they are equally liable under S75 which is what the OP went through via Santander.
.Don`t steal - the Government doesn`t like the competition0
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