Help with flat pack furnite problem

doolallygal

Flat pack furniture - sorry!
Hi first post so sorry if it's in the wrong place.

I ordered some bedroom furniture which arrived Monday. After putting it all together I noticed one of the side panels of one waredrobe was warped out (not noticable until put together) this means the wardrobe rail won't fit as the side panels are too far apart.

I rang the company on Tueday afternoon and was offered either a replacement panel or £15 offer. I was also told that it all should have been checked on delivery, I explained that the defect wasn't noticable until the wardrobe was put together. I then asked what my would happen if I requested the replacement panel, and in the process this further damaged my wardrobe and they said that wasn't their problem and they could only replace the side panel.

I have said that I'm not happy with this as once flat pack furniture has been put together once, if you take it apart then try and put together it invariably is not as good as it should be.

Do I have any rights with this, as I seem to be getting no-where with the company? My complaint has been escalated and I am awaiting a call from a senior manager (which was supposed to be yesterday and never transpired).

Do any of you clever people have any advice for me as I am really frustrated with this whole situation. We have spent a lot of money on this furniture and it is not fit for purpose.

Sorry for the long post, any replies will be much appreciated.

fluffnutter

I'm not sure why a 'replacement panel' could 'further damage your wardrobe'. Do you mean 'in reassembling the wardrobe using said replacement panel I damage the wardrobe'? In which case 1. why should merely rebuilding it with a different panel cause any more problems than doing so in the first place? and 2. they're not liable for any damage you cause, anyway.

I think you're pre-empting things. The problem that worries you hasn't actually happened. I'm not sure that this....

..once flat pack furniture has been put together once, if you take it apart then try and put together it invariably is not as good as it should be.

... is anything more than speculation.

Why not take the replacement panel and reassemble the wardrobe and see how things are?

Forwandert

If the back of the wardrobe is put on properly i can't see how the sides can warp out that much, as the back keeps the sides in place.

shaun_from_Africa

why should merely rebuilding it with a different panel cause any more problems than doing so in the first place? and 2. they're not liable for any damage you cause, anyway.

A lot of flat pack furniture uses wooden or plastic dowels to help line up the panels. and these are often have to be tapped into position.
They are fine if put in once, but if they are taken out (as they may have to be in this case) and refitted, they won't be anywhere near as tight if reused.
Sometimes they also use a dab of woodglue to keep them in place, in which case, taking the unit apart may well damage it.

If the back of the wardrobe is put on properly i can't see how the sides can warp out that much, as the back keeps the sides in place.

Sometimes the back is only a piece of hardboard or flexible laminate which is only tacked on with small panel pins and doesn't provide any structural integrity to the overall unit.

fluffnutter

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

A lot of flat pack furniture uses wooden or plastic dowels to help line up the panels. and these are often have to be tapped into position.
They are fine if put in once, but if they are taken out (as they may have to be in this case) and refitted, they won't be anywhere near as tight if reused.

Fair enough. A good point, well argued.

Under the SOGA any repair must make good the original fault or you're entitled to a refund or replacement. I'm not sure how this specifically relates to this type of issue but you could try to use it to your advantage. If you do reassemble your wardrobe and it's not as good as you'd hoped, and you believe this to be due to having to replace the panel, then stick to your guns and ask for the whole thing to be replaced.

But I still think you're going to have to try the replacement panel first.

doolallygal

Thank you everyone for your replies.

I guess I'd just got rather frustrated, and am concerned that having been told if the wardrobe is damaged by the replacement then it's out of their hands I'm not sure what to do.

Also they had got the order wrong in the first place and I have had to contact them regarding shelving which was incorrectly ordered.

So I guess what you're saying is to go for the replacement panel, and hope if there are any problems (yes the back panel is flimsy, and the side panel is glued and screwed in place - hence my reluctance).

If I do accept the panel and there are damages I should be able to contact them and request a replacement as the product is not fit for use - right?

Just worried that they'll say 'we told you we can't do anything' if the worst does happen...

Forwandert

Sorry, first question asked should really have been did you order the items online or instore from the company?

If it was online you may have more rights to return etc (although someone more knowledgable on DSR may be able to give advise on that situation)

doolallygal

Hi, we ordered instore from the company

Have now spoken to a senior manager and have agreed to order the replacement panel (which will take about 4 weeks - grr) but she has confirmed that if there is any damage to the other panels in the process of changing them over, then they will replace those panels also.

So hopefully a result!

Thank you every one for you all your replies.

PZH

doolallygal wrote: »

... but she has confirmed that if there is any damage to the other panels in the process of changing them over, then they will replace those panels also.

I would ask for that in writing. :T

s_b

i must assume this isnt ikea because i would just chuck the lot in the car and take it back for a swap or a refund if it was and i would expect proper service from them as i have in the past
i too always glue self builds and would never consider stripping them down once built

doolallygal

s_b wrote: »

i too always glue self builds and would never consider stripping them down once built

Thank you - this is exactly my point!!!!!!!!:T
Am so glad someone else has the same opinion as me, but like I say I don't seem to have any other option than trying to replace the panel.

Good point about getting replacement bits in writing - will do that - thank you