am i right to pay only a deposit for a sofa suite until i receive everything

sniper786

Hi all,

I have agreed to purchase a 3 piece furniture suite from a medium sized family owned furniture business. They seem reputable and have a website and have been running for about 5 years.

This is the first time i have bought anything for £1> since flying the nest so not sure how things are done. I paid £200 when i picked the suite and arranged delivery for next week. The staff said the 3 seater and armchair could be delivered straight away but they would have to order the 2 seater sofa.

My family have said not to pay anything more until i receive everything as if i pay in full and then the set is damaged (the 3 seater and armchair are the display models) i will find it difficult to get it sorted out but it seems strange to me to not pay prior to completing the order.

Would i be within my rights to ask to just pay my deposit till i receive the full set and be able to inspect it to double check there are no defects?>

robatwork

Your rights are whatever you signed up to. Did you read the terms and conditions that you should have a copy of?

I wouldn't expect to pay the balance until delivery but this is something you should have sorted out before signing - what does your contract actually say about the balance?

unholyangel

Do you have a credit card you could put it on and even pay off in full (so no interest) if you were going to pay cash?

Paying by credit card for goods costing over £100 is always a good idea as it makes your card company jointly liable. In other words, should the company be insolvent, you can get a refund from the card company.

Paying doesnt mean you accept the goods btw. SoGA gives you a "reasonable time" to inspect the goods to see whether they conform to contract or not. What is a reasonable time depends on what the circumstances are and can only really be decided by a court. For a suite you probably have at least a few weeks. You cannot waive this right - even by agreement (ie signing a "satisfaction" note on delivery).