M&S Sofa Not Fit For Purpose

sad_gills_fan

Hi
Just before Christmas, I bought 2 sofas from M&S. Prior to buying them, I had asked the staff if it was treated with Scotch Guard .. they replied yes, I bought the sofas.

Over Christmas, friends sat on the new sofas and on one of them, clothing colour came off on the fabric. The 2 people had sat on both sofas over a period of 2-3 days and it had only marked one of them.

I called M&S, told them I thought it was clothing and they booked an independant technician to check it. The customer service agent also told me that this sofa should have been Scotch Guarded (she checked her list apparently).
Anyway, technician arrived, agreed with my thoughts, wrote a report to say that and couldn't do much else. He did say that he couldn't report about treatments as he was unaware which sofas from the many companies he worked to had which treatments. Fair enough I thought.

M&S receive the report and wash their hands of it as there is no manufacture problem. I ask them if they can prove it's been treated, they asked a senior technician and they can't. They refer me to the Furniture Ombudsman. (I have done this, but waiting a response).

I wrote to the CEO explaining my disappointment in the lack of empathy shown by M&S, but they insist there is nothing wrong with the sofas and keep referring back to the report. I have never disputed the report, what i disupte is that the sofas were treated properly thus making them not fit for purpose.

When people visit, I have to ask them to remove their clothes, sit on the floor or cover the sofas.
It's just one that is the problem, but I can't seem to get M&S to understand that if the sofas were treated the same, the marks would not be on just one of them.

Can anyone offer me any advice please .. I've never had cause to complain like this in the past and especially not to M&S, I truly expected better.
Ideally, I'd like them cleaned and re-treated, or my money back so I can go to and buy new sofas somewhere else.

Thanks in advance of any help you can offer.:(

[Deleted User]

Scotch Guard is designed to protect material from dirt, not dyes. If someone had jeans on for example, the dye could transfer for a short period of time and then once that dye is off the jeans, they would be fine. That would explain why only one sofa was marked.


I would say M&S are right in that its nothing to do with them. The sofa is fit for purpose and you have expected Scotch Guard to do something its not designed to do.


Perhaps your friend who ruined your sofa should compensate you?

sad_gills_fan

camelot1971 wrote: »

Scotch Guard is designed to protect material from dirt, not dyes. If someone had jeans on for example, the dye could transfer for a short period of time and then once that dye is off the jeans, they would be fine. That would explain why only one sofa was marked.


I would say M&S are right in that its nothing to do with them. The sofa is fit for purpose and you have expected Scotch Guard to do something its not designed to do.


Perhaps your friend who ruined your sofa should compensate you?

Hi, thank you. I should make it clear that it was 2 different people wearing old but clean jeans and one of them actually sat on the other sofa first. No marks on the other sofa at all.
It just doesn't add up to me.

Poppie68

Doesn't make much sense....if they are clean worn in jeans there wouldn't be anything coming off them anyway sofa scotch guarded or not...

meer53

I have visions of naked people sitting on the sofas in the OP's house.

mro85

meer53 wrote: »

I have visions of naked people sitting on the sofas in the OP's house.

Would the scotch guard protect against skid marks being left on the sofa in this scenario? :EasterBun

SuperHan

Ugh, I hate the usage of fit for purpose.

Why did you buy on them? I guess to sit on? Can you sit on them? Of course, they haven't collapsed and are still sofa shaped. Ergo, they are fit for purpose.

They may not be of a satisfactory quality, however. That would be your argument for getting any recompense for the issue.

SnowTiger

Should the sofas have been Scotchgard protected? I would expect it to have been advertised as such and have a label attached to confirm it. And, perhaps, details in the maintenance instructions about reapplying the treatment.

The only evidence you appear to have of Scotchgard is what was mentioned by the customer service advisor. Perhaps she was wrong.

Surprisingly, there's little detailed information on the official Scotchgard website about what it offers.

Scotchgard's (US) website contains this, so it appears it should protect from more than just dirt:

The original Scotchgard™ Protector was unsurpassed in protecting textiles—consumers were impressed with how the unique formula repelled liquids and prevented stains from damaging furniture, carpets and clothing.

The UK website contains this:

Fabric Protector spray forms an invisible barrier which repels water-based liquid such as rain, wine and coffee and helps protect against stains.

It's not clear to me whether that means it protects against liquid based stains only or liquids and stains. Is a dye a stain anyway?

Perhaps you could ask Scotchgard whether their product should have protected your sofa from dye transfer: http://www.scotchgard.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NAScotchgard/Global/About_Scotchgard/Support/.

sad_gills_fan

Hi, thanks for the comments.
Have had confirmation from the CEOs office that it's not Scotch Guard, but their own treatment. They will speak to the 2 reps who advised me of Scoch Guard (and flog them maybe?!)

They are still saying that they have treated the sofa and there is no manufacturing fault though.

I cannot understand why they feel it's been treated correctly if one sofa allows dye to come off on it and the other doesn't. Additionally, one cushion of the marked sofa is ok too!

sheramber

M & S website shows it is thier own 'Stain Defense ' treatment.

Not all materials are treated.

http://www.marksandspencer.com/s/home-and-furniture/order-fabric-swatches

sad_gills_fan

sheramber wrote: »

M & S website shows it is thier own 'Stain Defense ' treatment.

Not all materials are treated.

http://www.marksandspencer.com/s/home-and-furniture/order-fabric-swatches

Our one is one that's treated .. Or apparently not!
Ill see what the Ombudsman says, then go from there. I hate it when companies refuse to admit that something may have gone wrong just because their rep says it didn't.
Frustrating as they have no proof that it was treated properly ... No tag to say it was checked by Person A or anything like that.

:mad: